Narrator: This is Science Today. A team of University of California , San Francisco researchers has discovered that a certain aneurysm treatment is just as effective, and much safer, than the more common procedure. Neurologist Claiborne Johnston, who led the study, says coiling an aneurysm will have the same long-term effect as the much riskier clipping treatment.

Johnston : Aneurysms are from very deep in the brain, so you have to lift the brain up in order to reach in and put a clip over the aneurysm. Whereas the coiling procedure, is basically just have a small catheter that's inserted in their groin. They don't have to move the brain at all.

Narrator: Johnston says that it's important for this treatment to become more available, and for patients to be aware of the difference.

Johnston: I think we need to have more people doing the procedure so that it becomes available to more patients in the community, and have people more educated about asking for it, specifically if they have an aneurysm, if it's unruptured, and, or ruptured, having their family members ask for it.

Narrator: For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.