Cerebral aneurysms (CAs) are pathological dilations of cerebral arteries, most commonly seen at points of bifurcation in the major arteries forming the circle of Willis at the base of the brain. CAs are relatively common with a prevalence estimated to be as high as 6% in autopsy specimens [1,2]. Each year in the U.S., more than 30,000 people experience a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) from the rupture of such an aneurysm. Unfortunately, 50% of these patients will die either at the moment of rupture or shortly thereafter. Another 25% will suffer devastating neurological complications resulting in loss of motor or cognitive function with consequent institutionalization and with enormous costs to the individual as well as to the system that has to care for a chronic patient. Finally, even the remaining 25% will experience protracted hospitalization and some degree of cognitive or neurological impairment. In contrast, operative repair of an unruptured CA has a mortality of less than 2.5% and morbidity of less then 6% [3].
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