SIMULTANEOUS RADICAL NEPHRECTOMY AND REPAIR OF ABDOMINAL AORTIC-ANEURYSM

Objectives. The combination of abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with o ther intra-abdominal surgery is controversial. Most studies have shown that a variety of procedures can be performed at the same time as an aneurysm repair with little change in mortality or complication rates. We conducted a retrospective study to determine if aneurysm repair co uld be safely and effectively combined with radical nephrectomy. Metho ds. We studied 10 patients who underwent combined abdominal aortic ane urysm repair and radical nephrectomy during a 4-year period. Results f rom this group were compared to a separate control group of 10 patient s who underwent radical nephrectomy alone and another of 12 patients w ho underwent abdominal aortic aneurysm repair alone, during the same t ime period. Results. The overall mortality was 10% and significant com plications occurred in an additional 10% of patients. Minor, self-limi ting complications occurred in 50% of patients. There were no aortic g raft infections that occurred in the entire series of patients at 18 m onths of mean follow-up. There were no remarkable differences in lengt h of stay, age, operating time, blood loss? morbidity, and mortality b etween this series of patients and the combined values in a separate g roup of control patients who had undergone either procedure alone. Con clusions. Simultaneous radical nephrectomy for presumed renal cell car cinoma can be safely combined with repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm in selected patients.