title: Mid-term survival and costs of treatment of patients with descending thoracic aortic aneurysms; endovascular vs. open repair: a case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the results of open surgery or endovascular stent graft repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA).
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective multicenter study of 95 patients undergoing TAA repair (42 stent grafts, 53 open repair). The median age was 67 years. Post-operative complications, mid-term survival and costs were assessed. The results were pooled with data in the literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a mean follow up of 26 months (open group) and 15 months (endovascular group) survival was similar for patients treated by either repair method. Post-operative pneumonia was more in the open group (p <0.02). The hospital costs of open treatment were 40% more than that of the endovascular procedure. Combining the present results with pooled data from the literature the peri-operative mortality and paraplegia rate was less in the endovascular group (p <0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These retrospective data suggest that endografting of descending thoracic aneurysms can be performed with less peri-operative morbidity, at lower hospital costs, but with equal mid-term life expectancy, compared with open grafting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, 1090 HM Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Glade
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Vahl
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wisselink
authors.forename: M A M
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Linsen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Balm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017130:Angioplasty / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D016019:Survival Analysis