Clipping is a surgical procedure performed to treat an aneurysm. If the aneurysm is intracranial, a craniotomy is performed, and afterwards an Elgiloy (Phynox) or titanium Sugita clip is affixed around the aneurysm's neck.
Surgical clipping was introduced by Walter Dandy of the Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1937. It consists of performing a craniotomy, exposing the aneurysm, and closing the base of the aneurysm with a clip chosen specifically for the site. The surgical technique has been modified and improved over the years. Surgical clipping has a lower rate of aneurysm recurrence after treatment.
In January 2009, a team of doctors at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill, North Carolina pioneered a new approach for aneurysm treatment - clipping aneurysms through an endoscopic endonasal approach. The team was led by UNC neurosurgeon, Dr. Anand Germanwala. This procedure may be groundbreaking for patients with aneurysms near the skull base, as an approach through the nose is less invasive than traditional approaches. Two videos related to this procedure can be seen on the UNC Neurosurgery website: http://www.med.unc.edu/neurosurgery/news/germanwala-presents-first-aneurysm-patient-treated-through-nose and http://www.med.unc.edu/neurosurgery/news/video-it-takes-two-or-more [1]