Many of the posterior circulation intracranial aneurysms may best be approached through a retrosigmoid-suboccipital craniectomy with a far lateral transcondylar approach extension.

see Pipeline embolization device for posterior circulation aneurysm.

In a narrated video illustration, Caplan et al. present the case of a 37-year-old man with an incidentally discovered right-sided anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) aneurysm. Diagnostic studies included CT angiography and cerebral angiography. A suboccipital craniectomy and far-lateral transcondylar extension were performed for microsurgical trapping and excision of the AICA aneurysm. The techniques of the retrosigmoid craniectomy, C-1 laminectomy, condylectomy and microsurgical trapping of the aneurysm are reviewed. The video can be found here: http://youtu.be/JiM3CXVwXnk ¹⁾.