Routine open abdomen treatment compared with on-demand open abdomen or direct closure following open repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms: A propensity score-matched study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether a strategy of treatment with a primarily open abdomen improves outcome in terms of mortality and major complications in patients treated with open repair for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm compared to a strategy of primary closure of the abdomen. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Patients treated with a primarily open abdomen at a centre where this strategy was routine in most ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm patients were compared to a propensity score-matched control group of patients who had the abdomen closed at the end of the primary operation in a majority of the cases. RESULTS: In total, 79 patients treated with a primarily open abdomen after open repair for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm at Sahlgrenska University Hospital were compared to a propensity score-matched control group of 148 patients. The abdomen was closed at the end of the procedure in 108 (73%) of the control patients. There was no difference in 30-day mortality between patients treated with a primarily open abdomen at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and the controls, 21 (26.6%) versus 49 (33.1%), p = 0.37. The adjusted odds ratio for mortality at 30 days was 0.66 (95% confidence interval: 0.35-1.25) in patients treated with a primarily open abdomen at Sahlgrenska University Hospital compared to the controls. No difference was observed between the groups regarding 90-day mortality, postoperative renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy, postoperative intestinal ischaemia necessitating bowel resection or postoperative bleeding requiring reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: The study did not show any survival advantage or difference in major complications between patients treated with a primarily open abdomen after open repair for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm and propensity-matched controls where the abdomen was primarily closed in a majority of the cases.

Preserved pelvic circulation after stent-graft treatment of complex aortoiliac artery aneurysms: a new approach.

PURPOSE: To describe an endovascular technique that allows stent-graft treatment of aortoiliac aneurysmal disease affecting both common iliac arteries (CIA), with maintenance of pelvic circulation on one side. TECHNIQUE: For patients with aortoiliac aneurysms, both common femoral arteries (CFA) were surgically exposed. One internal iliac artery (IIA) was initially embolized with coils. A bifurcated stent-graft main body was deployed with the proximal end just below the renal arteries. On the ipsilateral side, the stent-graft limb was extended 3 cm beyond the orifice of the embolized IIA into the external iliac artery (EIA) using stent-graft limb extenders. On the contralateral side, the stent-graft limb was deployed so that the distal end was 10 to 15 mm proximal to the patent IIA orifice. Via a left brachial artery access, the IIA was catheterized, and stent-grafts were deployed from the distal end of the contralateral AAA stent-graft limb into the IIA. A femorofemoral crossover graft provided circulation to the leg ipsilateral to the IIA stent-graft, and the EIA on the same side was ligated. The technique can also be modified to treat isolated bilateral CIA aneurysms. CONCLUSIONS: By extending the distal aspect of the stent-graft into an IIA, bilateral CIA aneurysms can be excluded while preserving pelvic circulation on one side.