Management of abdominal aortic aneurysms: which risk factors play a role in decision-making?

There are three choices for management of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), ie, endovascular repair (EVAR), open repair (OR), and continuing surveillance (OBS). The treating physician must weigh the risk of no intervention, in terms of ultimate death from rupture, against the more immediate risk associated with either form of repair, considering in the process those risk factors that directly or indirectly relate to outcome. These risk factors include AAA size and the patient's comorbidities, age, gender, and AAA anatomy, as well as the skills and experience of the treating physicians and the health care environment in which the patient is treated. While individualization is clearly required, a generalizable platform for decision-making derived from past trials and other pertinent observational studies is also useful. This article attempts to present pertinent background information and develop it into generally applicable guidelines.