title: Abdominal aortic laparoscopic surgery: retroperitoneal or transperitoneal approach?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to define the respective advantages and pitfalls of the trans- or retroperitoneal approaches in laparoscopic abdominal aortic reconstruction (LAOR).
  
  
  METHODS
  prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  ten patients (8 males; average age 58) underwent an aortouni- (n=2) or bifemoral bypass (n=8) to treat aortoiliac occlusive disease (n=8) or an aortic aneurysm (n=2).
  
  
  METHODS
  a retroperitoneal approach (the "apron" technique) was used in the first 5 cases (Group I) and a transperitoneal approach in the last 5 cases (Group II).
  
  
  RESULTS
  no early or late death occurred, and all bypasses remain patent after a mean follow-up of 5.7 months. Mean surgical and clamping times are similar in both groups (370 and 126 min in Group I; 324 and 137 min in Group II). One intraoperative conversion to open surgery and two postoperative surgical complications occurred in Group I. Four minilaparotomies of 8-10 cm were necessary in Group II. Two patients were discharged on postoperative day 6 in Group I and five in Group II.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  this preliminary study shows the feasibility of LAOR through both approaches. In Group II, a better exposure of the right aortic wall and of the right iliac axis was noted and division of the inferior mesenteric artery was not always necessary.
authors.affiliation: Service de Chirurgie Vasculaire - Hôpital Nord, Université de la Méditérranée, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Alimi
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hartung
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Orsoni
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Juhan
mesh_terms: D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods