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Less-Invasive Technique Has Improved Outcomes of Aortic Aneurysm Repair


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New York, 8 March 2006 – A shift toward a less-invasive endovascular procedure as an alternative to conventional surgery has reduced the risk of death for patients undergoing repair of dangerous abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), reports a study in the March Journal of Vascular Surgery.

“Our results show that vascular surgeons are saving more lives through the increased use of endovascular AAA repair—even while operating on older and less-fit patients,” said Dr. Ellen D. Dillavou, Assistant Professor of Vascular Surgery at University of Pittsburgh, one of the study authors. Dr. Dillavou and colleagues used Medicare data to analyze trends in AAA surgery from 2000 to 2003.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a ballooning of the aorta, the body’s large central artery, resulting from a weakening or stretching of the vessel wall. If the aneurysm ruptures (bursts), it is usually fatal. If detected through proper screening, AAAs can be repaired to prevent rupture. However, traditional open surgery for AAA is a major operation with a significant risk of death and prolonged recovery time.

Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) provides a less-invasive alternative to open surgery for AAA repair. In this procedure, the vascular surgeon makes a small incision in the groin to thread a catheter through the patient’s arteries. Once the catheter reaches the location of the AAA, a device called a stent-graft is placed, expanded, and fixed in place to repair the aneurysm.

During the period studied, AAA repair was performed in about 28,000 elderly Medicare patients per year. The use of EVAR increased steadily after 2000, the first year Medicare recognized the procedure. By 2003, EVAR made up more than 40 percent of AAA repairs.

The risk of death was significantly lower with EVAR: 1.9 percent, compared to 5.2 percent for patients undergoing conventional open surgery. Reflecting the increased use of EVAR, the overall mortality rate after AAA repair decreased from 5.0 to 3.7 percent from 2000 to 2003.

Compared to open surgery, patients undergoing EVAR required less recovery time in the hospital and intensive care unit. They were also less likely to be sent to a nursing home or other care facility after leaving the hospital. The improvement in results of AAA repair occurred despite the fact that the average patient age increased during the study period.

“Our study shows excellent results for EVAR, with less than two percent mortality in a nationwide sample,” said Dr. Dillavou. “These outstanding results have influenced the outcomes of AAA repair overall. This means that AAA repair can be performed with fewer operative deaths, shorter hospital stays, and a faster return home.”

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About Journal of Vascular Surgery

Journal of Vascular Surgery provides vascular, cardiothoracic, and general surgeons with the most recent information in vascular surgery. Original, peer-reviewed articles cover clinical and experimental studies, noninvasive diagnostic techniques, processes and vascular substitutes, microvascular surgical techniques, angiography, and endovascular management. Special issues publish papers presented at the annual meeting of the Journal’s sponsoring society, the Society for Vascular Surgery. Visit the journal website at www.jvascsurg.org.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. Working in partnership with the global science and health communities, Elsevier’s 7,000 employees in over 70 offices worldwide publish more than 2,000 journals and 1,900 new books per year, in addition to offering a suite of innovative electronic products, such as ScienceDirect, MD Consult , Scopus , bibliographic databases, and online reference works.

Elsevier is a global business headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and has offices worldwide. Elsevier is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc , a world-leading publisher and information provider. Operating in the science and medical, legal, education and business-to-business sectors, Reed Elsevier provides high-quality and flexible information solutions to users, with increasing emphasis on the Internet as a means of delivery. Reed Elsevier’s ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).



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