When Every Second Counts

About a year ago, Don and Janice Saucier were enjoying a morning cup of coffee on the couch in their living room when Don noticed Janice making ‘unusual sounds.’ When he looked over at her, he discovered that she had been convulsing. He called 911 immediately, and Janice was taken by ambulance to a nearby emergency center.

While there, Janice received a CT  of the brain, which revealed she had bleeding in the brain caused by an aneurysm (an outpouching in the wall of an artery in the brain). She was transferred for treatment to Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, which is certified to treat complex neurological emergencies.

“Janice actually had a very unique kind of aneurysm,” says Farah Fourcand, MD, a neuroendovascular surgeon at Indian River Hospital. “It was in the basilar artery. The basilar artery is actually in the brain stem.” The brainstem supports vital body functions like breathing, heart rate, and consciousness.

The aneurysm in Janice’s artery had ruptured, which led to bleeding in the brain, also known as hemorrhagic stroke or more specifically a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Janice fell into a coma because of the location of the aneurysm.

“I really didn’t think she was going to make it,” Don says. “I thought she was gone.”

The management of a ruptured aneurysm is a multidisciplinary process involving the emergency medicine physician, the neuroendovascular surgeon, the neurosurgeon, and the neuro critical care team. Dr. Fourcand and her team collaborated to make a plan on what to do, when to do it, and how her long term prognosis would look like.

“When I met with Dr. Fourcand she explained to me exactly what the problem was, and what she was going to do to remedy the problem,” Don says.

A technique called ‘endovascular coiling’ turned out to be the best treatment option for Janice. This minimally invasive approach to surgery uses imaging guidance to thread hair-thin platinum coils through a catheter in the leg all the way up into the aneurysm in the brain. The coils prevent the aneurysm from bleeding further. This method avoids the need for open surgery and allows for a faster recovery.

“I was impressed at how well they took care of Janice, and I tell everybody I don’t think she could have gotten better care anywhere in the world,” Don says.

“At Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, we treat our patients like family,” Dr. Fourcand says. “Because in these kinds of situations, it’s all about minimizing disability so that someone could have as good a quality of life as possible.”

Janice was in the intensive care unit for about six weeks. When she was finally able to communicate Don was very happy. He said he attributed her recovery to the medical staff who took care of Janice. He said they all were very supportive and kept him informed on what was going on.

“Janice now is doing remarkably well, and I’m thrilled,” Dr. Fourcand says. She is especially happy that Janice is not only back to taking care of herself, but she is doing the things she enjoys in life as well. Dr. Fourcand is grateful for the technology and capability available now to treat aneurysms that allow for good outcomes and good quality of life.

“I know people who had aneurysms and didn’t make it,” Janice says. “And we are lucky.”