title: Endovascular stent grafting versus open surgical operation in patients with infrarenal aortic aneurysms: a propensity score-adjusted analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although transfemoral endovascular aneurysm management (TEAM) of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is widely performed, open graft replacement is still considered the standard of care. The aim of this study was to investigate whether clear indications for TEAM can be established in patients with significant comorbidities without investigating differences in relative procedure efficacy or durability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A propensity score-based analysis of 454 consecutive patients treated electively for AAA from January 1995 through December 2000 was performed. Of those 454 patients, 248 received open surgery and 206 received TEAM. In-hospital mortality rates (MRs) were compared. After adjusting for propensity scores, a Cox proportional hazard model (COX) was employed to test the influence of the respective treatment on postoperative 900-day survival estimates (SEs). Several potential preoperative risk factors were used as covariates. The MR of all patients was 3.7%. Explorative analysis demonstrated that patients treated by TEAM presented with significantly more risk factors. In American Society of Anesthesiologists class IV patients, a significant difference in MR was detected (4.7% for TEAM versus 19.2% for open surgery; P<0.02). After adjusting for the propensity to receive TEAM or open surgery, a regression analysis of survival based on COX revealed predictive influences of impaired kidney (P<0.047) or pulmonary function (P<0.001), increased age (P<0.05), and selection of treatment modality (P<0.002) on SE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TEAM represents a less invasive procedure for AAA therapy in patients with significant preoperative risk factors. Especially in geriatric patients with multiple morbidities, TEAM offers a method of therapy with acceptable MRs and SEs, making active treatment possible in otherwise incurable patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, University of Vienna-Medical School, Vienna, Austria. alexanderprusa@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Teufelsbauer
authors.forename: Alexander M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Prusa
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Polterauer
authors.forename: Josif
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nanobashvili
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prager
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hölzenbein
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thurnher
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lammer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schemper
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kretschmer
authors.forename: Ihor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Huk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*