Objective To determine the time to complications during and after elective endovascular intracranial aneurysm coiling.

Methods A retrospective chart review of patients undergoing elective endovascular aneurysm coiling between March 2006 and October 2013 in one large Eastern Canadian Neurointerventional Service was performed. Data regarding the incidence, time and type of complication related to the endovascular coiling procedure and clinical outcome at last follow-up were collected. Patient, aneurysm and operation factors were analyzed to determine any factors associated with complication occurrence.

Results Of the 150 patient procedures analyzed, 16% experienced a coiling-related complication, although none resulted in death. 6.7% of patients experienced an intraoperative complication, of which thromboembolism was the most common type. The majority of the complications were detected in the first 6 hours after reversal of anesthesia, and a small proportion the next morning prior to discharge. Only 3.3% of patients had persistent neurological deficit after the procedure on last follow-up. Duration of the operation demonstrated a strong association with the occurrence of procedure-related complications.

Conclusion This study demonstrates that coiling-related complications of elective endovascular coiling tend to occur either intraoperatively or are detected shortly after reversal of anesthesia. Further investigation with a larger cohort may help to guide important preoperative communication with patients and identify a select group of patients who may not necessarily require prolonged admission to hospital for observation.