title: Laparoscopically assisted abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. A report of 10 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laparoscopic surgery decreases postoperative pain and length of hospital stay. Whether laparoscopically assisted abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair can be safely and reliably performed is unknown. This prospective study was designed to establish the feasibility of laparoscopically assisted AAA repair and its effects on intraoperative and postoperative variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  With IRB approval, 10 patients with infrarenal AAA requiring a tube graft underwent laparoscopically assisted AAA repair. The procedure consisted of laparoscopic dissection of the aneurysm neck and iliac vessels. Then, through an 8-11-cm minilaparotomy, a standard endoaneurysmorrhaphy was performed. Data included laparoscopic and total operative times, blood loss, fluid requirements, duration of nasogastric suction (NGT), and lengths of intensive care unit (ICU) and postoperative hospital stays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Laparoscopically assisted AAA was completed in nine of 10 patients. The first patient was converted to a standard incision because the aneurysm neck could not be adequately dissected. Laparoscopic and total operative times were 1.8 +/- 0.4 and 4.5 +/- 0.7 h, respectively. Mean blood loss was 1 +/- 0.6 l. Intraoperative fluid requirement was 6.6 +/- 1.3 l. The duration of NGT suction was 1.8 +/- 1.0 days. The ICU stay was 2.1 +/- 0.8 days and hospital stay was 6.7 +/- 2.5 days. There were two minor complications and no deaths.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopically assisted AAA repair is technically feasible with acceptable blood loss, operative time, morbidity, and mortality. Potential advantages may be early removal of the NGT and shorter ICU and hospital stays. Prospective randomized trials are needed to determine if laparoscopically assisted AAA repair is advantageous.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY, 11040, USA.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome