Open aneurysm repair at an endovascular center: value of a modified retroperitoneal approach in patients at high risk with difficult aneurysms

• Published in: Journal of vascular surgery Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 504 - 510
• Main Authors: Shaw, Palma M, Veith, Frank J, Lipsitz, Evan C, Ohki, Takao, Suggs, William D, Mehta, Manish, Freeman, Katherine, McKay, Jamie, Berdejo, George L, Wain, Reese A, Gargiulo III, Nicholas J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Mosby, Inc 01.09.2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Academic Medical Centers; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anastomosis, Surgical; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - diagnostic imaging; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - mortality; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - surgery; Aortography; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cohort Studies; Diseases of the aorta; Female; Humans; Laparotomy - methods; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Postoperative Complications - mortality; Probability; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Retroperitoneal Space; Risk Assessment; Severity of Illness Index; Survival Analysis; Treatment Outcome; Vascular Surgical Procedures - methods; Vascular Surgical Procedures - mortality; Human; Retroperitoneal; Aneurysm; Cardiovascular disease; Endovascular route; Arterial disease; Vascular disease; Abdominal aorta; Treatment; Surgery; Surgical approach; Technique; Aortic disease
• ISSN: 0741-5214; 1097-6809
• DOI: 10.1016/S0741-5214(03)00441-5

This study was undertaken to evaluate elective open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair and the role of a modified retroperitoneal approach in a high-volume endovascular center. We reviewed prospectively collected data for 175 elective infrarenal open AAA repairs performed over 6 years. A transperitoneal approach was used in 118 procedures, and a modified retroperitoneal approach was used in 57 procedures. The incisional modification, which facilitated repair in patients with massive obesity, scarring, or ventral hernia, included a higher, more posterolateral location in the ninth intercostal space. Risk factors that added to the difficulty of the repair included aneurysms with a short (<1 cm) or no aortic neck in 45 patients; large, angled or flared aortic neck in 32 patients;, tortuous and calcified iliac arteries in 6 patients; morbid obesity in 10 patients; low ejection fraction (15%-30%) in 14 patients; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with forced expiratory volume at 1 second less than 55% in 4 patients; previous laparotomy in 18 patients; previous left-sided colectomy in 11 patients; large right iliac aneurysm in 8 patients; large ventral hernia in 8 patients; pelvic irradiation in 4 patients; failed endovascular repair in 5 patients; and previous failed open repair attempt in 2 patients. Many of these factors occurred with significantly greater frequency ( P = .04-.001) in the retroperitoneal group. All factors were correlated with outcome. Despite these risk factors, overall 30-day mortality was 3.5% (retroperitoneal group, 3.8%), and mean length of hospital stay was 9 days (retroperitoneal group, 8 days). There was no significant correlation between mortality or length of stay and any of the mentioned risk factors ( P > .2). In the era of endovascular aneurysm exclusion, open AAA repair is generally used to treat anatomically complex or difficult aneurysms, many of which are present in patients at high risk. Despite this combination of anatomic and systemic risk factors, the modified retroperitoneal approach facilitates treatment in difficult circumstances and enables open AAA repair to be performed with acceptable mortality and morbidity.