PROGNOSIS AFTER GRAFT REPLACEMENT OPERATION FOR ABDOMINAL AORTIC-ANEURYSM

We analyze findings on the long-term survival of patients undergoing e lective graft replacement operations for abdominal aortic aneurysm. We review the principal surgical case series published in peer-reviewed, English-language journals over the past 15 years. Perioperative morta lity was 4.0%, and 5-year survival was 69% in 16 reviewed studies enco mpassing 4,288 patients. Articles on late survival have largely focuse d on the preoperative assessment of coronary artery disease in patient s who are candidates for aortic resection. The influence of other reco gnized risk factors, such as advanced age, hypertension, cerebrovascul ar disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, and multiple aneurysms, is often not well specified in these studies. As a greater number of older patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm are seen with serious associated disease, knowledge about the expected survival of p atients with surgically treated aneurysms is becoming more important t o both primary care physicians and vascular surgeons when eliciting pa tient preferences for surgical treatment.