Abdominal aortic aneurysms: Should they all be resected?

Abstract

A retrospective study has been carried out on 124 consecutive patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms admitted during the period 1960-74. The mortality rate after emergency operation was 56 per cent and after elective operation 15 per cent. As in other vascular centres during these years the mortality rate has decreased among electively operated patients. We have tried to answer two questions: which patients without signs of rupture should undergo operation and which patients with a ruptured aneurysm should not be operated upon?

Long-term survival and late complications after repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms

“…More recently, Stonebridge et al 13 observed 40% survival rate in survivors after RAAA repair and 45% after repair of nonruptured AAA at 8 years, a difference that was statistically not significant. Data from others 17,23 had similar conclusions.…”

Das rupturierte Aortenaneurysma als Überraschungsbefund der Laparotomie beim akuten Abdomen

“…In einer aktuellen Erhebung der letzten 3 1 / 2 Jahre von Januar 1993 bis Juli 1997 bei insgesamt 70 Patienten mit der Aufnahmediagnose eines rupturierten Bauchaortenaneurysma, unabha È ngig davon, ob eine Operation durchgefu È hrt wurde oder nicht, zeigte sich eine Klinikletalita È t von insgesamt 47 %, so daû sich auch hier die genannten Mitteilungen der Literatur widerspiegeln. Wenn allerdings eine gewisse Form der Patientenselektion durchgefu È hrt wurde, hatte dies mit Sicherheit eine starke Auswirkung auf die statistische Operationsletalita È t [4]. Es fa È llt auf, daû in den verschie-denen Studien groûe Unterschiede hinsichtlich der Letalita È t angegeben werden.…”

Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms

“…Nevertheless, the treatment of ruptured aortic aneurysms places a considerable demand upon health service resources, both in the initial resuscitative attempt and in the period of postoperative care. However, for patients who survive, life expectancy, both in qualitative and quantitative terms, is satisfactory (DeBakey et al, 1964), is similar following both elective and emergency surgery (Christenson et al, 1977) and is determined by coexistent cardiovascular disease.…”