title: Elective aneurysm repair and the incidence of aortic rupture in an ageing population.
abstract: During the period January 1984-July 1988, 191 abdominal aortic aneurysms were encountered at Gosford District Hospital, NSW, a hospital that services an ageing population. These aneurysms were either repaired or found as the cause of death at post-mortem. During the study, the rate of elective repair rose from 0.25/month during the first 2 years to 3.67/month in the latter 2.5 years. The mortality for repair of non-ruptured aneurysms was 0.9% compared with 55% for ruptured aneurysms. The 15-fold increase in elective repair resulted in the 58% reduction in the incidence of abdominal aortic rupture from 1.87/month to 0.79/month. The mortality rate from known aneurysms fell from 46% to 14% in the final 2 years. Elective aneurysm repair reduces the incidence of and death from abdominal aortic rupture in an ageing population.
authors.affiliation: Gosford District Hospital, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Ivers
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Bourke
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000453:epidemiology; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007083:Iliac Artery; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors