Time and cause of death for 301 patients operated on for abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Time and cause of death were studied in 301 patients operated on for an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AA). The hospital mortality rate was 4% for electively operated patients, 19% for patients with impending rupture, and 58% for those with a ruptured aneurysm. The one- and five-year survival rates were 94% and 68% for the elective group, 70% and 44% for those with impending rupture, and 41% and 31% for patients with a ruptured aneurysm. Of all inpatient deaths, 20% were caused by multi-organ failure. Cardiovascular deaths accounted for 71% of all deaths in patients with AA. 'Sudden death' (cause not known) occurred in 6.6% of all deaths, and in 18% of the late deaths. Although survival probabilities for patients operated on for AA are good if the patients survive the operation and the immediate postoperative period, we found that the majority of deaths were caused by cardiovascular diseases.