A brain aneurysm is life-threatening, especially if it ruptures (bleeds). Successfully treating a brain aneurysm - either unruptured or ruptured - requires precision and skill that comes from performing hundreds of surgeries.

The National Brain Aneurysm Center was created as a result of our medical team's focus and commitment to improving the way aneurysms are treated.

Unruptured aneurysms

Even though the risk of an unruptured aneurysm bleeding is relatively small, the consequences can be debilitating. More patients with unruptured aneurysms are choosing to seek out the best care - not just the closest care.

A growing number of patients and referring physicians from all over the country are selecting the National Brain Aneurysm Center for cutting-edge surgical and endovascular treatment of unruptured aneurysms.

We do more surgeries on unruptured aneurysms than nearly any other hospital in the nation - and we do them better. Dr. Nussbaum has surgically treated more than 775 unruptured aneurysms. Yet, his complication rates in surgically clipping unruptured aneurysms are among the lowest in the country at 1.6%, compared to average complication rates exceeding 10% (source - New England Journal of Medicine International Study of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms).

Dr. Nussbaum's mortality rate for patients treated for an unruptured aneurysm is less than 0.3%. More than 96% of his patients have returned to their previous lifestyle or occupation without modification at six months post-surgery.

Dr. Madison and his interventional neuroradiology partners have collective experience in coiling over 600 unruptured aneurysms. Our interventionalists also have very low procedural complication rates of less than 3% and mortality rates of less than 0.5. Mortality rates at hospitals treating fewer than 30 aneurysms per year typically approach 5%.

Ruptured aneurysms

Since the majority of people are unaware that they even have an aneurysm until it ruptures, immediate access to care is vital. Patients should be taken to the nearest hospital to ensure timely, critical care.

At the National Brain Aneurysm Center, our team has established critical care procedures to not only stop the bleeding and potential permanent damage to the brain, but to reduce the risk of recurrence and optimize the chance for a full recovery. With one of the few neurointensive care units (neuro ICUs) in the country, our physicians and nurses are dedicated to the goal of saving the brain, giving you the best chance at resuming your life.

Dr. Nussbaum has surgically treated more than 450 ruptured aneurysms. Approximately three-quarters of the ruptured aneurysms treated at the National Brain Aneurysm Center are treated with endovascular surgery by Dr. Madison and his partners.

We provide highly-specialized medical care to patients who may have been referred for advanced treatment several times beyond primary care. In many cases, these patients are extremely ill and not expected to survive a severe rupture. We work diligently to give patients every opportunity to survive and recover.

For severe ruptures, our interventional neuroradiologists have very low complication rates of 4% and mortality rates of 0.75%. Our results stand in comparison to national benchmarks suggesting procedural morbidity rates as high as 5% to 15% and procedural mortality rates as high as 5% to 10% for ruptured aneurysm patients.