Background: Unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) are treated using endovascular treatment or microsurgical clipping. The safety and efficacy of treatments have not been compared in a randomized trial. Methods: We randomly allocated clipping or coiling to patients with 3-25mm UIAs judged treatable both ways. The primary outcome was treatment failure, defined as: initial failure of aneurysm treatment, intracranial hemorrhage or residual aneurysm on one year imaging. Secondary outcomes included neurological deficits following treatment, hospitalization >5 days, overall morbidity and mortality and angiographic results at one year. Results: 136 patients were enrolled from 2010 through 2016 and 134 patients were treated. The one-year primary outcome, available for 104 patients, was reached in 5/48 (10.4% (4.5%-22.2%)) patients allocated surgical clipping, and 10/56 (17.9% (10.0%-29.8%)) patients allocated endovascular coiling (OR: 0.54 (0.13, 1.90), P=0.40). Morbidity and mortality (mRS>2) at one year occurred in 2/48 (4.2% (1.2%-14.0%)) and 2/56 (3.6% (1.0%-12.1%)) patients allocated clipping and coiling respectively. New neurological deficits (15/65 vs 6/69; OR: 3.12 (1.05, 10.57), P=0.031), and hospitalizations beyond 5 days (30/65 vs 6/69; OR: 8.85 (3.22,28.59), P=0.0001) were more frequent after clipping. Conclusions: Surgical clipping led to greater initial treatment-related morbidity than endovascular coiling. At one year, the superior efficacy of clipping remains unproven and in need of randomized evidence.
Surgical Clipping Versus Endovascular Coiling in the Management of Intracranial Aneurysms
