title: Retroperitoneal rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  About 40% of patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) die before admission to the hospital. The next 40-50% of patients who reach a hospital die in the perioperative period or within 30 days after surgery. Two groups of patients with ruptured AAA can be distinguished: first-with intra-abdominal rupture, second-with retro-peritoneal rupture. The aim of the study was a retrospective analysis of the treatment results in patients with retro-peritoneal rupture of AAA.
  
  
  METHODS
  78 patients underwent a surgical procedure between 1.01.1985 and 30.10.1996. 78 patients (68 men and 10 women), mean age 67.6 (53-94) were included in this study. Based on diagnostic and surgical procedures, two periods of treatment can be distinguished. In the first period of the time from 1.01.1985 to 31.12.1992 patients were operated on immediately after admission to the hospital. In the second period from 1.01.1993 to 31.10.1996 patients were admitted to Intensive Care Unit. In this unit patients were intensively treated and prepared for surgical procedure. During this time the computerized tomography scanning (CT) was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the first period the perioperative mortality was 75%. In the second period the perioperative mortality was 41.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 1.5-2 hours postponement of operative procedure of the patients with retro-peritoneal rupture of AAA can decrease perioperative mortality. During the time patients were intensively treated and prepared for surgical procedure and CT examination enabled to choose proper surgical technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Ludwik Rydygier Medical University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mackiewicz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Molski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szpinda
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jundzill
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stankiewicz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality