The influence of team experience on outcomes of endovascular stenting of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the experience of the specialist team was associated with adverse events following endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms.


METHODS
The EUROSTAR database is a voluntary registry of 2863 patients admitted to 93 hospitals in Europe with an abdominal aortic aneurysm treated with endovascular stenting. Mortality, rupture and the need for secondary interventions were the main outcomes.


RESULTS
In patients who underwent endovascular stenting by the most experienced specialist teams the mortality rate was 40% lower than in those treated by the least experienced teams (adjusted hazard ratio 0.60, 95% confidence interval: 0.4-1.0; p = 0.05). Also patients treated by the most experienced specialist teams were 68% less likely to have adverse events necessitating a secondary intervention than those treated by the least experienced teams (adjusted hazard ratio 0.32, 95% confidence interval: 0.2-0.5; p < 0.001). The crude rupture rate was 0.1% among patients treated by the most experienced specialist teams and 0.8% among those treated by the least experienced teams (p = 0.74).


CONCLUSIONS
Specialist teams with a high level of experience of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm stenting encounter lower mortality rates and fewer adverse events leading to secondary interventions.
Laheij
R J F
RJ
Eurostar Data Registry Center, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
van Marrewijk
C J
CJ
Buth
J
J
Harris
P L
PL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors