New device used for less-invasive aneurysm treatment

STONY BROOK, N.Y. (FOX 5 NY) - Rounds of testing in late 2018 revealed that Danielle Santilli, 33, had a 5-millimeter wide-necked aneurysm.

Doctors at Stony Brook Medicine said she was the perfect candidate for the Woven EndoBridge, or WEB, procedure instead of having open-brain surgery.

Stony Brook is one of the first hospitals in the country using the technology for these types of aneurysms. Different sizes of the device are made to fit different types and shapes of aneurysms.

"This new technology allows us to treat these aneurysms in one single step by implanting the device and detaching it," Dr. David Fiorella, the director of cerebrovascular at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox 5. "Small aneurysms and aneurysms in older patients can be watched conservatively but for Danielle, her aneurysm was of a size where it needed to be treated because of her age."

The procedure took 40 minutes instead of four to five hours if it were done the traditional way. And the recovery was much easier. Danielle was released the day after and cleared for all of her normal activities.

The FDA approved the device in January. Stony Brook Medicine has done nine treatments since then and already has four more lined up this month.

"Through a small skin nick that we make over the femoral artery we're able to introduce our catheters, snake them up into the brain under X-ray guidance, and then place this device into the aneurysm," Dr. Fiorella said.

Danielle is thankful her aneurysm was caught early and didn't rupture.

"I only have the webbing device," Danielle said. "I'm on Bayer for a month and I'm good to go."

It is a game-changer in the medical field and a safer way to stop an aneurysm from growing.