Brain aneurysms are more common than most people think. About 3% of adults will have one, even if many don’t know about it. Often they discover them accidentally when they have a scan, usually for unrelated reasons. Fortunately, most cause no symptoms and no problems and people can live a normal life without treatment. However, some will burst and cause bleeding on the brain which can be catastrophic. The question is, who will that unlucky person be? If only we knew, we could treat them before their aneurysm bursts.

Unfortunately, it is not that simple. Studies can’t agree how frequently a typical aneurysm bursts, let alone accurately pick out ones that will burst with high or low frequency. Estimates of bursting for a typical aneurysm range between 0 and 30% over 30 years. Imagine that was you? What you would do? 0% and you’d be pleased you can avoid a complex procedure on your brain. 30% and you would be rushing to get it treated. But what if you were told we don’t know and it could be either or anything in between!

That is the position thousands of people around the country find themselves in. It leads to huge amounts of anxiety and distress and no doubt some patients who opt not to be treated suffer a bleed, while others who are treated may have never had a bleed if they left their aneurysm alone.

Help to resolve this with Smile4Wessex!

Smile4Wessex is supporting the team at Wessex Neuro running the ROAR study (Risk Of Aneurysm Rupture). The study will answer these pressing questions for patients and more. To read more information about the study, please click HERE