M. Lepantalo et al., FREQUENCY OF REPEATED VASCULAR-SURGERY - A SURVEY OF 7616 SURGICAL AND ENDOVASCULAR FINNVASC PROCEDURES, The European journal of surgery, 162(4), 1996, pp. 279-285
Objective: To assess the incidence of repeated vascular surgical opera
tions. Design: A population-based cross-sectional survey established o
n the Finnvasc registry. Setting: Multicentre, Finland. Material: 7616
vascular procedures consisted of 5201 open vascular operations and 24
15 endovascular interventions done during the two years 1991-92. Main
outcome measures: Mortality and number of reoperations and major amput
ations. Results: A total of 5409 initial vascular procedurs were done,
770 patients (10%) underwent a new procedure in the same anatomical s
egment as previously, and 1437 patients (19%) underwent, a Vascular or
endovascular procedure on a new arterial segment excluding the corona
ry arteries; these patients had more risk factors than the two other g
roups, and were also treated more often for chronic leg ischaemia. Alt
ogether 586 reoperations were needed in 487 patients (6%) during a 30-
day postoperative period, more often after the initial surgical recons
truction than on other occasions. Altogether 126 postoperative below-k
nee and 170 above-knee amputations had to be done during the same peri
od which corresponded to 14% of the total of 2128 surgical or endovasc
ular revascularisations done for acute or chronic critical leg ischaem
ia. The risk of perioperative death was higher in patients with acute
leg ischaemia undergoing their first vascular intervention than those
having repeat operations. Conclusion: Although the present data are cr
oss-sectional and might be affected by the recent increase in vascular
surgery in Finland they show that almost a third of vascular operatio
ns done are repeat procedures.