[The extra-peritoneal approach in the surgical treatment of atherosclerosis in the aorto-iliac region].

Based upon a series of 27 cases the results obtained with the extraperitoneal approach for the surgical management of atherosclerosis of the aorto-iliac segment, are presented and discussed. The patients, ranging in age from 55 to 87 years (mean 70.9 years) were considered as high risk patients because of associated respiratory, cardiac and renal diseases. The technique of extraperitoneal approach was applied in 8 cases (29.7%) of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), and 19 cases (70.3%) of aorto-iliac occlusive disease (DOAI), with an operative mortality of 3.7%. It has been concluded that the extraperitoneal approach is an attractive alternative to the conventional transabdominal approach, particularly in those patients with significant risk factors, requiring aorto-iliac surgical reconstruction.