ABSTRACT
In the last decade, 78 patients received operations for abdominal aortic aneurysms with a transperitoneal approach (TP) while in 82 patients we used an extraperitoneal approach (EP). Forty-two patients in the TP group and 40 in the EP group who required no concurrent repair of the inferior mesenteric artery, renal artery or lower extremity arteries were compared. There was no difference between the two groups in mean operative time, mean amount of intraoperative bleeding or mean amount of required homologous blood transfusion. The mean interval after surgery to beginning peroral alimentation and the mean duration of postoperative fluid therapy were significantly shorter in the EP group than in the TP group. An extraperitoneal approach for abdominal aortic reconstruction is preferable for an early postoperative recovery.