Cardiovascular Surgery and Interventions 2020, Vol 7, Num 2 Page(s): 051-056
What has changed in our endovascular practice at abdominal aortic aneurysms?

Ertekin Utku Ünal, Bekir Boğaçhan Akkaya, Mehmet Karahan, Naim Boran Tümer, İsa Civelek, Ece Çelikten, Hakkı Zafer İşcan

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Yüksek Ihtisas Cardiovascular Hospital, Ankara City Hospital Campus, Ankara, Turkey

Keywords: Abdominal aortic aneurysm, aortic surgery, endovascular aneurysm repair, endovascular surgery, stent
Objectives: We aimed to investigate whether there was a change in the perioperative features and outcomes following endovascular repair.

Patients and methods: This retrospective study included 249 consecutive patients (223 males, 26 females; median age 70 years; interquartile range [IQR], 66 to 74 years) with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) who were treated using endovascular approach between January 2012 and February 2020. The patients were stratified into three tertiles based on the time period of the procedure (83 patients in each group) as follows: 2012-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2020. Trends over time were analyzed among the three patient groups.

Results: The median aneurysm diameter was 63 (IQR, 55 to 71) mm. The third tertile (2018-2020) had a significant association with lower durations of the procedure, particularly compared to the first tertile (2012-2017). The median duration of the intensive care unit stay (median 6 h, 4 h, and 4 h respectively; p<0.001) and hospital stay (median three days, two days, and two days, respectively; p<0.001) were found to be significantly shorter after the first tertile.

Conclusion: Based on these results, EVAR is a safe and feasible method of treatment in AAAs. These results support a potential link between improved outcomes, technical feasibility, and experience over time.

DOI : 10.5606/e-cvsi.2020.820