title: Mortality rates following endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present the perioperative and late mortality following endovascular repair (EVR) of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected prospectively on 221 patients undergoing AAA EVR over a 4-year period (median 5-month follow-up). Patients were classified preoperatively as high risk with at least 1 of these features: serum creatinine > 150 micromol/L, ischemic heart disease or poor left ventricular function, respiratory function < 50% of predicted normal, ruptured or symptomatic AAA, contraindication to or failed open repair, and age > 80 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred forty (63.3%) patients were classified as high risk, the most common criterion being cardiac disease (n = 96, 68.6%). There were 25 (11.3%) deaths in the 30-day perioperative period, 22 (15.7%) in the high-risk group compared to 3 (3.7%) in the acceptable-risk group (p = 0.02). The most common causes of perioperative death were multisystem organ failure and myocardial infarction. A further 21 (9.5%) late deaths occurred, 16 (11.4%) in the high-risk group and 5 (6.2%) in the acceptable-risk group (p > 0.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mortality of patients at acceptable risk undergoing EVR compares with the best published series for conventional open AAA repair. The perioperative and late mortality in the high-risk patients are substantially higher.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom. stuart.walker1@virgin.net
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Macierewicz
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: MacSweeney
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Gregson
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Whitaker
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Wenham
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Hopkinson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000401:mortality*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology