Neurovascular or cerebrovascular disease refers to all disorders in which an area of the brain is temporarily or permanently affected by bleeding or restricted blood flow. Restrictions in blood flow may occur from vessel narrowing (stenosis), clot formation (thrombosis), blockage (embolism), or blood vessel rupture (hemorrhage). Blood travels throughout your body via arteries and veins. Arteries are responsible for carrying oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the brain, kidneys, intestines, arms, and legs. Veins carry the blood back to the heart.

Endovascular surgery is a minimally-invasive procedure used to treat problems affecting the blood vessels, such as an aneurysm, which is a swelling or “ballooning” of the blood vessel. It requires a small incision and is performed “within” the artery (endovascular) through a catheter inserted into the blood stream at the groin and guided to the brain. Endovascular surgery results in less pain, shorter hospital stays and less risk of complication than traditional open surgery. Endovascular surgery includes coiling, stenting, angioplasty, and embolization.