I have not had it done, but it may be my next step. My surgeon discussed it initially because I have a collapsed vein, right sinus. I had a LP shunt put in this summer and had complete relief for a few weeks, but all of my symptoms are back, even though my pressure was lower at my last LP than it was before the surgery.

I have heard it is pretty easy and the recovery is nothing like shunt surgery. I think you take a blood thinner for up to a year, but just aspirin. I hope it helps you, please keep us posted.
Amy

Well when they were first deciding what to do with me at Johns Hopkins they originally found stenosis of left transverse sinus and were going to stent me before doing the shunt. When they cancelled stenting they had to postpone the shunt bc they had me on plavix and aspirin prior to the stent procedure. I think the recovery would be easier than the shunt for sure. I know they told me a patient would have to take aspirin long term but not sure about how long you have to take the plavix.

I am sorry, forgot to answer one question. I was told the procedure is similar to an angiogram. They go through an artery in the leg or arm to do the procedure and sedate with versed so you don't remember. I hope that helps.,

Hi
I have 2 stents one in each transverse sinus because mine were narrowed 80% from blood clots and other theories... mine were placed 4/2010 and I also have a VP Shunt now so I can tell you for a fact that this surgery is SO much easier to recover from. you cannot even find your incision hole near your groin afterwards. you can walk within hrs of the surgery and leave the hospital the next day. There is head pain but when you are used to chronic headaches this is not so bad. within a week your back to your old self and within three months my paps went away. my whoosing was gone immediately after my surgery.
I am now more than two and a half yrs out from my stents. My headaches are still the same, I now have a VP shunt and my stents (both) are each 20% narrowed....I am not happy about this. and I do not know what will be done about it at this point either. This surgery is still very new. Shunting of course is more of the first line treatment but I wanted to first go the less invasive way not ever planning to also get a shunt. I do have an inherited blood clotting condition and a history of blood clots in my brain and do take asprin every day.
You will have to take Plavix for a yr after your surgery and then bsby asprin for the rest of your life to keep anything from sticking to your stents.
I have discussed my process with stenting the last few yrs on DS. If you search back you may find more. msg me with any questions. I wish you the best of luck. I have had three Angiograms and while not fun, not the worst either...just shave (down there) before hand or they do it for you LOL...!!
Hugs,
Mandy:)

Mandy, I'm curious, did your headaches initially get better after the stent surgery? I went the other direction, and my surgeon decided to do the shunt first as releasing the pressure might help open the veins. Now I think I will still need a stent as the narrowing is not gone, but not as severe, and my headaches are still bad. It always starts in the area of the collapsed vein, then spreads.

Sounds like all the people who end going with the vp shunt or the lp shunt first ended up having to get stents anyways interesting and still it isn't 100% that the stents will even work so what's next!????! If you already have a vp shunt and stents this is getting scary maybe Head transplant will work lol jking

Also thanks for all the info ladies

Magna
My headaches did not change at all after the stenting surgery. i have chronic hdaches and migraines tho so its a struggle. I went with the stents first bc of the narrowing and blood clotting theory and also it being less invasive. It was sold to me as still being an experimental procedure not approved by the FDA. Not sure where its at now. I would not change getting them but never wanted to get a shunt too...no one does. Like I said tho, helped with whoosing and paps so it did work but real question is...why two yrs later are they narrowed?
Ladies keep me updated on what you decide I am thinking of you!
Mandy:)

Mandy, your narrowed where they put the stents in? Im asking cause im going Monday to check for fibromuscular dysplasia its well know to cause IH, check it out when you can.

Mary
Very interesting thanks! I will look into it. Good luck with your apt.
:) Mandy

Hello, I have a stent as well that was placed in May of this year at Cleveland Clinic. The surgery was very easy to recover from - a small incision on either side of your pubic area (I would suggest a good "clean up" job there before the surgery so the tape isn't so bad) and home the next day. I had my surgery on Friday and went to work on Monday and my team didn't know what I'd done!

My head felt better right away after placement of one stent, though my ears continued to ring (they have perm hearing loss from IH). I was myself again for 6 wonderful weeks! No headache, high energy, and I could think again. Over the course of one week my husband was fired, my daughter talked suicide, and our finances put us into a tailspin. The stress of it all was too much to take and my head went right back into the IH mess. I still want to pick the brain of an endovascular neurosurgeon to find out why the stent worked for 6 weeks (my CSF was not drained during the surgery - only veins and arteries were impacted) and then suddenly stopped working. I could have the other side stented (both sides were narrowed) but until I have more data I'm making do with the one stent.

I took a massive amount of Plavix on the day before the surgery (like 12 pills - the pharmacist came over to me in the store and in front of everyone said "I've never seen a dose so high before. What is wrong with you?" What else could I say? I smiled and said "I'm having brain surgery tomorrow." "oh" was all she could say - ha!) I took Plavix for 3 months after surgery as well as a full aspirin every day for the rest of my life. The asprin is no big deal.

Something that you'll want to find out (that has become an issue for me) is the make and model of your stent. See if they will give you a card to carry with the details. I didn't get a card and didn't know the make and model of the stent. Just recently, they think I may have breast cancer, so I was about to be put into the MRI machine to have a breast MRI when they called if off because of the stent. After a couple of weeks with the radiologists talking with each other, it was decided that they wouldn't give me the MRI. I'm now waiting another month to get into a different medical center to see if they are more "with it". I was able to obtain the surgery notes that had the make of stent on it, but since the model number wasn't in the surgery notes, it wasn't enough information. Easy solution, get a card.

There is a lot of controversy regarding stents and IH and I read the studies before moving forward. I decided that this was a good idea for me because I'm not a "typical" IH patient (not overweight, older than most, other differences, too). I would do the surgery again in a heartbeat.

Thanks for all of the advice guys I'm having surgery Monday will keep you posted

Good luck,
I hope this helps!

Mary

I hope everything went smoothly for you! Please let us know how you are when you are able!
Amy

I wish you the best of luck and hope to hear all about it post-surgery!

I'm sure it'll go great :)