Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40754563›Full record

SynthesisNeurosurgical review2025

Comparative outcomes of coil embolization and surgical clipping in elderly patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Yohanna Idsabella Rossi, Gabriel Bolner, Jonathan Costa Dall'Acqua, Fabiana Dolovitsch de Oliveira, Lucas Vincenzi Zacaria, Taís Luise Denicol, Michel Frudit, Natália Vasconcellos De Oliveira Souza

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-AnalysisComparative Study
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Neurosurgical review, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Yohanna Idsabella RossiFederal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Gabriel BolnerFederal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Jonathan Costa Dall'AcquaFederal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Fabiana Dolovitsch de OliveiraFederal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Lucas Vincenzi ZacariaFederal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Taís Luise DenicolFederal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Michel FruditIntervention Neuroradiology and Neurosurgery Department, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Natália Vasconcellos De Oliveira SouzaIntervention Neuroradiology and Neurosurgery Department, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. dranataliavasconcellos@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1032-5787

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesElderly patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) face a disproportionately high burden of morbidity and mortality. While endovascular coiling is often favored in this population, direct comparisons with surgical clipping are limited. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare outcomes of clipping versus coiling in SAH patients aged ≥ 60 years.

methodsA systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases identified studies comparing the two treatments in this age group. The primary outcome was a composite of unfavorable outcomes (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] > 2 and mortality). Secondary outcomes included mortality, favorable outcome (mRS 0-2), rebleeding, and hospital length of stay. Heterogeneity was assessed using I² statistics, with subgroup analysis by age decade.

resultsTwenty-seven studies (2 randomized controlled trials [RCTs]) involving 51,415 patients (59.6% treated with clipping) were included. There were no significant differences between clipping and coiling for unfavorable outcome (RR 1.03; 95% CI 0.96-1.11), favorable outcome (RR 1.02; 95% CI 0.93-1.11), mortality (RR 1.08; 95% CI 0.97-1.19), or rebleeding (RR 1.21; 95% CI 0.57-2.57). However, coiling was associated with shorter hospital stays (MD -2.53 days; 95% CI -4.58 to -0.49; p = 0.0152). RCTs showed a non-significant trend favoring coiling, while observational studies leaned toward clipping. Heterogeneity for main outcomes was moderate (I² = 57.7%). Using the GRADE framework, overall certainty of evidence was rated very low, mainly due to the predominance of non-randomized studies, moderate risk of bias, and inconsistency across studies.

conclusionsIn SAH patients aged ≥ 60 years, clipping and coiling show comparable outcomes, with coiling associated with shorter hospital stays. Given the very low certainty of evidence, these findings should be interpreted with caution. Prospective multicenter cohorts are needed to establish more definitive evidence.

Indexed as

Embolization, TherapeuticEndovascular ProceduresNeurosurgical ProceduresSubarachnoid HemorrhageSurgical InstrumentsAgedHumansLength of StayMiddle AgedTreatment OutcomeClippingCoilingElderlyEndovascularMicrosurgeryStrokeSubarachnoid hemorrhage

Identifiers

PMID40754563
PMCPMC12318887

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.