Background and purpose: Age might differentially affect outcomes in patients treated for unruptured cerebral aneurysms with surgical clipping versus endovascular coil therapy. We evaluated a large administrative database to determine the effect of age on outcomes in patients treated for unruptured cerebral aneurysm.
Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample, we evaluated morbidity (discharge to long-term facility) and mortality of patients undergoing clipping or coiling of unruptured cerebral aneurysms in the United States between 2001 and 2008. Outcomes were evaluated in relation to four age strata: younger than 50 years; 50 to 64 years; 65 to 79 years; and patients 80 years or older.
Results: Patients younger than 50 years old undergoing coiling had significantly lower morbidity rates when compared to patients who underwent clipping (3.5% versus 8.1%; P<0.0001), but no difference in mortality (0.6% versus 0.6%; P=0.72). Patients between 50 and 64 years old undergoing coiling had significantly decreased morbidity (4.0% versus 13.7%; P<0.0001) and mortality (0.5% versus 1.1%; P<0.0001) when compared to patients who underwent clipping. Coiled patients 65 to 79 years old had lower morbidity (6.9% versus 26.8%; P<0.0001) and mortality (0.8% versus 2.0%; P<0.0001) compared to patients who underwent clipping. Patients aged 80 years or older undergoing coiling also had lower morbidity (9.8% versus 33.5%; P<0.0001) and mortality (2.4% versus 21.4%; P<0.0001) when compared to patients who have undergone clipping.
Conclusions: Patients treated with endovascular coiling have significantly less morbidity and mortality than those treated with surgical clipping, and these differences become more pronounced with age.