Incidence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome after endovascular aortic repair.

AIM

The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of the post-implantation syndrome/systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) after endovascular aortic repair.

METHODS

All patients, undergoing elective primary endovascular repair of an asymptomatic infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm during 2007, were retrospectively evaluated for SIRS within the first 5 postoperative days. The only exclusion-criteria were missing data. SIRS was assessed using the criteria defined by the American College of Chest Physicians and Society of Critical Care Medicine Consensus Conference Committee.

RESULTS

Sixty-six patients were included, 40 (60%) met the SIRS criteria within the first 5 postoperative days (95% of the 40 patients met the criteria within 3 days). We found no significant differences between the SIRS and the non-SIRS group in baseline characteristics or other data including volume of the contrast media used, type of groin access, adjunctive procedures and duration of surgery. In total, 11 (28%) patients in the SIRS group and 4 (15%) patients in the non-SIRS group underwent re-interventions. Median follow-up period was 26 (range 20-32) months. Thirty-day mortality did not differ in the groups (3% in the SIRS group vs. none in the non-SIRS group).

CONCLUSION

The high incidence of SIRS after EVAR is unexpected considering the minimally invasive procedure. Further studies on the cause of this response and measures to attenuate the response seem appropriate.