Open abdominal aortic repair in the current era has more complications for occlusive disease than for aneurysm repair.

BACKGROUND

Endovascular intervention has become the first-line treatment of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) or aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD). However, open abdominal aortic repair remains a valuable treatment option for patients who are younger, those with unfavorable anatomy, and patients for whom endovascular intervention has failed. The cohort of patients undergoing open repair has become highly selected; nevertheless, updated outcomes or patient selection recommendations have been unavailable. In the present study, we explored and compared the characteristics and postoperative outcomes of patients who had undergone open abdominal aortic repair from 2009 to 2018.

METHODS

Patients who had undergone open AAA (n = 9481) or AIOD (n = 9257) repair were collected from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. The primary outcome was the 30-day mortality. The secondary outcomes included 30-day return to the operating room, total operative time, total hospital stay, and postoperative complications. Unmatched and matched differences between the two groups and changes over time were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to assess the risk factors predicting for 30-day mortality.

RESULTS

After propensity matching (n = 4980), those in the AIOD group had had a higher 30-day mortality rate (5.1% vs 4.1%; P = .021), a higher incidence of wound complications (7.4% vs 5.1%; P<.0001) and an increased 30-day return to the operating room (14.2% vs 9.1%; P < .0001). More open AIOD cases (P = .02) and fewer open AAA cases (P = .04) had been treated in the second half of the decade than in the first. The factors associated with an increased odds of 30-day mortality included advanced age, American Society of Anesthesiologists score ≥III, functional dependence, blood transfusion <72 hours before surgery, weight loss in previous 6 months, and a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

CONCLUSIONS

From 2009 to 2018, the number of open AAA repairs decreased and the proportion of open abdominal AIOD cases increased. Open AIOD surgery was associated with higher 30-day mortality, increased return to the operating room, and increased wound complications vs open AAA repair. Multiple risk factors increased the odds for perioperative mortality. Thus, open abdominal aortic repair should be selectively applied to patients with fewer risk factors.