title: [Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms: status quo after a quarter century of treatment experience].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postoperative mortality rates between 40% and 50% have been invariably reported for the treatment of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAA) over the last 50 years. The aim of this analysis was to investigate which patient subgroups benefit from open surgery and in which subgroups a change of treatment strategies should be considered due to lack of improvement despite optimal patient management.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1980 to 2002 a total of 230 patients underwent surgery because of a ruptured AAA. The observation period was divided into 3 intervals to achieve an approximately equal distribution of patients. The effect of the observation period and of baseline parameters on mortality rates were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 1980 and 1990, 72 patients were operated with a mortality rate of 38.9% (n = 28). During the second period (1991-1996) surgery was performed in 72 patients with a mortality rate of 40.3% (n = 29). In the third observation interval (1997-2002) 86 patients underwent surgery with an unvaried high mortality rate of 40.7% (n = 35). By applying a logistic regression model including age, gender, modality of rupture, location of cross-clamping and type of operation, only the modality of rupture and the patient's age, which are uncontrollable by the surgeon, could be shown to have a significant impact.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Summing up these findings, open surgical repair of rAAA only leads to acceptable results when performed in younger patients without supposed comorbidities. Survival appears to be accidental in patients with advanced age and increased prevalence of relevant comorbidities/underlying diseases. Minimally invasive techniques may offer promising treatment options to those patients, as they do in elective interventions.
authors.affiliation: Klinische Abteilung für Gefässchirurgie der Universität Wien, Osterreich. teufelsbauer@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: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sahal
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hölzenbein
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kretschmer
authors.forename: Ihor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Huk
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Polterauer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors