Life-saving brain surgery, currently only available at a handful of hospitals in the UK, will soon be offered in Preston.

The Royal Preston Hospital has invested £1m to offer the new treatment for patients who suffer brain diseases such as aneurysms, a burst blood vessel in the brain.

Until now patients have had to travel to Liverpool, Manchester or even Oxford for treatment.

The technique involves brain coiling and embolization to close the blood vessels that are doing the harm, and is being pioneered at the centre by Dr Tufail Patankar and Dr Rajendra Phadke. Dr Phadke said: "Neuro-interventional techniques offer definitive or adjuvant treatment for vascular diseases of the brain. The start of these services in Preston will greatly benefit patients from this region."

Traditionally, treatment for a burst aneurysm was to open the skull and place a metal clip across the neck of the problem area to stop it from re-bleeding.

This latest treatment, which involves an operation lasting between four to five hours, involves a catheter being put through the femoral artery in the leg up into the blood vessel to fill the aneurysm with tiny coils. It is expected to save or improve the lives of about 100-120 patients each year.

Dr Patankar said: "Not all patients will be suitable for the method and some will still need to be clipped but many will benefit.

"The bonus for patients will be that the decision can now be taken to immediately treat and coiling or clipping can be done at Preston without the need to travel."

On top of the new surgery, there are also plans to open a eurovascular clinic at the hospital which will be in addition to a high dependency unit already opened to care for patients undergoing brain coiling.