Washington, May 30 Minimally invasive coil treatment for stroke has been found to have better outcomes than traditional surgical treatments, says researchers.

However, the procedure is drastically expensive.

Coiling is a technique that involves placing a small catheter into the aneurysm and filling it with platinum coils. The catheter is introduced through a blood vessel in the groin and advanced under X-ray all the way into the brain blood vessels.

The researchers from Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center at University of Minnesota Medical School looked at the treatment response of more than 2,000 patients, half of whom underwent minimally invasive endovascular coiling for brain aneurysms, and found that the procedure has better patient outcomes - including qualify of life.

"The minimally invasive treatment is better tolerated in selected critically ill patients with ruptured brain aneurysms," said Dr Alberto Maud, principal investigator of the study.

"The procedure is effective in preventing a second rupture but currently limited in terms of cost due to the need for additional follow-up procedures to treat new aneurysm growth.

"However, a new generation of devices promises to provide more permanent obliterations for aneurysms.

"It should be noted that despite additional treatments, patients treated with endovascular treatment continued have lower rates of death and disability than those treated with open surgery," he added.

The research is published in the Journal of Neurosurgery. (ANI)