Treatment of hemorrhagic stroke focuses on controlling the bleeding and reducing pressure in your brain caused by the excess fluid.

Endovascular embolization (or coiling) is a minimally invasive procedure that cuts off the blood supply or stops bleeding in an artery or a blood vessel during a hemorrhagic stroke. During embolization, embolic substances (such as metal coils, tiny spheres, chemicals and even glue) are used to block blood flow into the aneurysm, causing the blood to clot.

A patient might have endovascular embolization if they have a brain aneurysm that is at risk of rupturing or an abnormal blood vessel that could bleed. Endovascular embolization is often used as an alternative to open surgery to treat these types of vascular conditions. In addition to brain aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), endovascular embolization may be used to treat tumors and fibroids, or growths, in the uterus.

Before the procedure, a nurse starts an intravenous (IV) line and gives the patient a sedative, although sometimes general anesthesia is used. Once the catheter insertion site is numbed, a tiny incision is made near an artery (often the groin) and the catheter is inserted. The radiologist also injects a contrast medium, which will make the blood vessels show up on X-rays. The radiologist looks at the real-time X-ray image while guiding the catheter to the target area.

The embolic substance is delivered through the catheter to the target area. After verifying the seal is complete and bleeding has stopped, the radiologist removes the catheter. Recovery time after endovascular embolization is typically a few days.