There are two types of strokes, an ischemic stroke caused by a blockage in an artery or vein that prevents the blood flow to reaching an area of the brain.\u00a0 This is the most common type of stroke.\u00a0 A hemorrhagic stroke, the type Skelly was experiencing, was caused by a brain aneurysm that had leaked.<\/p>\n
A hemorrhagic stroke is fatal in 1\/3 of patients, who never even make it to the hospital.\u00a0 For those who make it to the hospital 1\/3 will have deficits and never be the same again, the other 1\/3 are fortunate to be okay.<\/p>\n
\u201cChristine was fortunate in that even though her aneurysm bled and she sought out care in a delayed fashion, she did not suffer a re-bleed.\u00a0 That would potentially have been fatal.\u00a0 \u00a0Most of the re-bleeds happen within 24 to 48 hours, she was fortunate that she made it to our hospital,\u201d says Dr. Ketan Bulsara, chief of Neurosurgery at UConn Health.<\/p>\n
A diagnostic angiogram was performed by Dr. Abner Gershon, assistant professor of Radiology at UConn Health to better understand the aneurysm, the risks associated with treating it and the options to treat. Skelly\u2019s aneurysm was in a very rare location with an unusual shape. The multidisciplinary team at UConn Health has great expertise in the microsurgical management of aneurysms and endovascular management.\u00a0 After considering all treatment options, Bulsara proceeded with endovascular treatment of her aneurysm.<\/p>\n
A very small catheter about the size of two or three strands of hair was threaded through an artery in her leg. Coils closed off the aneurysm and were used to preserve the main blood vessels because otherwise the patient could potentially have a devastating stroke.<\/p>\n Skelly does not recall the trip to the emergency room or the two procedures she had.\u00a0 She awoke in the ICU and hadn\u2019t known what happened and wondered why her friends and family were there.<\/p>\n While it is unclear what causes aneurysms, what is uniform is that there is a weakness in the blood vessel wall.\u00a0 Brain aneurysms can cause hemorrhagic stroke, and these are life threatening emergencies.\u00a0 If you are diagnosed with an aneurysm, it’s very important that you’re assessed by a team with expertise in both microsurgery and endovascular treatments to determine what the best treatment option would be if treatment is warranted.<\/p>\n \u201cMost patients will present with a terrible headache often described as the worst headache of their life.\u00a0 Initially there is a small leak, called the sentinel bleed. It’s the precursor of a devastating potentially life threating bleed if nothing is done about the aneurysm,\u201d says Bulsara.\u00a0 \u201cShe had a small leak that the brain was able to tamponade off, but it was a very precarious situation because she was likely going to have another bleed and that could have taken her life. The takeaway message is if you experience the worst headache of your life, seek medical care immediately.\u00a0 Skelly was truly fortunate that her aneurysm did not re-bleed during her delayed presentation.\u201d<\/p>\n Skelly remained in the hospital for over two weeks and had physical therapy at home as well as a home nurse.\u00a0 She has started exercising again and is building herself up to where she was prior to the stroke. It\u2019s a slow process and she tires more easily, but that is to be expected as the body heals. The place in the brain where this stroke took place affected her balance and she is having her hearing checked as she noticed she isn\u2019t hearing as well, however she was lucky to have minimal deficits, if any.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is recovering extremely well, and I anticipate she should not have any permanent deficits,\u201d says Bulsara.<\/p>\n Skelly will have annual surveillance imaging, but she should be cured of her aneurysm.\u00a0 In the meantime, Skelly is working to be well enough to complete her goal of riding 5,000 miles on her bike this season.<\/p>\n \u201cI am so appreciative for the outstanding medical care by the doctors, nurses, PCAs and therapists at UConn Health,\u201d says Skelly. \u201cMy family and friends have been an incredible support to me and I am so grateful to each and every one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Christine](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/christine-skellys-children-300x162.jpg\")
![\"Befast](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/befast-for-fb-300x251.png\")
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