Concept of the aortic aneurysm repair-related surgical stress: a review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: Abdominal aorta aneurysm (AAA) is a serious threat for human life. AAA repair is a high-risk procedure which results in a severe surgical stress response. We aim to give a conceptual description of the underlying pathophysiology of stress after surgical repair of AAA. METHODS: The MEDLINE/PubMed database was searched for publications with the medical subject heading "surgical stress" and keywords "abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA)", or "cytokines" or "hormones" or "open repair (OR)" or "endovascular repair (EVAR)". We restricted our search to English till 2012 and only in cases of abdominal and thoracoabdominal aneurysms (TAAA). RESULTS: We identified 93 articles that were available in English as abstracts or/and full-text articles that were deemed appropriate for our review. CONCLUSIONS: Literature highlights no statistical significance for early acute TNF-α production in EVAR and no TNF-α production in OR. IL-6 and IL-8 levels are higher after OR especially when compared with those of EVAR. IL-10 peak was observed during ischemic phase in aneurysm surgical repair. Cortisol and epinephrine levels are higher in OR patients in comparison to EVAR patients. Finally, the incidence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome was significantly higher in OR than EVAR patients.

Surgical management of extracranial internal carotid aneurysms by cervical approach.

BACKGROUND: Extracranial internal carotid artery aneurysms (EICAA) are rare vascular problems with a great potential for lethal thromboembolic episodes. METHODS: From 1994 to 2004, nine patients with EICAA, seven men and two women, were surgically treated for 10 aneurysms in our department. Aneurysm led to hemispheric symptoms in six cases (two hemispheric strokes and four hemispheric transient ischaemic attacks). The cause was fibrodysplasia in two cases, atherosclerosis in four cases, trauma in two cases and spontaneous dissection in two cases. All aneurysms were treated surgically by the cervical approach using shunting. Extended cervical approach was necessary in four patients with high-lying aneurysms. Nine aneurysms were totally resected and successful revascularization was carried out. Open aneurysmorrhaphy with vein patch angioplasty was carried out in one case of a saccular aneurysm. RESULTS: There were no perioperative deaths or transient ischaemic attacks or strokes. Four patients developed cranial nerve deficits: one had hoarsness, two had partial facial paralysis (patients with extended cervical approach) and one had tongue deviation. These neurological symptoms were observed in large aneurysms (>4.5 cm) and disappeared within 14 months. No neurological complication was observed in a follow up that ranged from 6 months to 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical repair of EICAA, especially with total resection and arterial reconstruction, is strongly recommended. Extended cervical approach has many technical difficulties but can allow treatment of high-lying aneurysms.