ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study attempted to identify trends in the use of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and outcomes in elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair over a 5-year period in a nationwide dataset, with specific attention to patients older than 80 years. METHODS: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was queried for elective AAA repair during 2005 to 2009. Number of EVAR cases, ratio of EVAR/open aneurysm repair (OAR), major clinical outcomes, and discharge status were analyzed by decade. Interval data were compared with analysis of variance (ANOVA) and proportions via chi-squared tests. RESULTS: A total of 174,714 AAA repairs (124,869 EVARs) were identified. The ratio of EVAR/OAR increased with increasing age. Between 2005 and 2009, the total number of AAA repairs increased by 21% (7,179 vs. 8,554) and EVARs increased by 50% (5,057 vs. 7,650; P < 0.05) in patients older than 80 years. In 2009, 85% of AAA repairs in patients older than 80 years were EVARs. Patients older than 80 years constituted 25% of the total EVAR cohort. Although the in-hospital mortality rate remained acceptable in all age groups, EVAR-associated mortality, length of stay, and discharge to a skilled nursing facility increased with each successive decade of life (P < 0.05). Rates of postoperative myocardial infarction and acute renal failure also increased with increasing age (P < 0.05). EVAR results are presented by decade. CONCLUSIONS: EVAR is being performed with increasing frequency in patients older than 80 years, with one-quarter of EVAR performed in patients aged 80 years and older in the current sample. Although mortality rates remain acceptable in this elderly population, EVAR and OAR are associated with an age-dependent increase in death, complications, and discharge to extended care facilities. These factors, in addition to long-term risk of aneurysm rupture, should be considered when evaluating the appropriateness of elective aneurysm repair in the elderly.
Subject(s)
Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/surgery , Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation/trends , Endovascular Procedures/trends , Inpatients , Acute Kidney Injury/etiology , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/mortality , Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation/adverse effects , Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation/mortality , Chi-Square Distribution , Databases, Factual , Elective Surgical Procedures , Endovascular Procedures/adverse effects , Endovascular Procedures/mortality , Female , Hospital Mortality , Humans , Length of Stay , Male , Middle Aged , Multivariate Analysis , Myocardial Infarction/etiology , Patient Discharge , Patient Selection , Risk Assessment , Risk Factors , Time Factors , Treatment Outcome , United StatesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to determine national trends in treatment of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA), with specific emphasis on open surgical repair (OSR) and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and its impact on mortality and complications. METHODS: Data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2005 to 2009 were queried to identify patients older than 59 years with RAAA. Three groups were studied: nonoperative (NO), EVAR, and OSR. Chi-square analysis was used to determine the relationship between treatment type and patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and hospital type. The impact of EVAR compared with OSR on mortality and overall complications was examined using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: We identified 21,206 patients with RAAA from 2005 to 2009, of which 16,558 (78.1%) underwent operative repair and 21.8% received no operative treatment. In the operative group, 12,761 (77.1%) underwent OSR and 3,796 (22.9%) underwent EVAR. Endovascular aneurysm repair was more common in teaching hospitals (29.1% vs 15.2%, p < .0001) and in urban versus rural settings. Nonoperative approach was twice as common in rural versus urban hospitals. Reduced mortality was seen in patients transferred from another institutions (31.2% vs 39.4%, p = 0.014). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated a benefit of EVAR on both complication rate (OR = 0.492; CI, 0.380-0.636) and mortality (OR=0.535; CI, 0.395-0.724). CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular aneurysm repair use is increasing for RAAA and is more common in urban teaching hospitals while NO therapy is more common in rural hospitals. Endovascular aneurysm repair is associated with reduced mortality and complications across all age groups. Efforts to reduce mortality from RAAA should concentrate on reducing NO and OSR in patients who are suitable for EVAR.