What are the anesthetic considerations for endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms?
Anesthetic considerations for endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms include adenosine-induced flow arrest, conscious sedation with midazolam or propofol, and general anesthesia. Adenosine-induced flow arrest is used to facilitate intracranial aneurysm clip ligation, and conscious sedation is used to reduce patient movement during endovascular procedures. General anesthesia is necessary for more complex or lengthy procedures. The safety profile of adenosine-induced flow arrest and conscious sedation has been established, and the anesthetic needs to be tailored to the individual patient needs for successful treatment. References for these anesthetic considerations include Jones et al (2004), Lakhani et al (2006), Varma et al (2007), Manninen et al (1997), Bebawy et al (2010), and Guinn et al (2011). 