title: Prospective randomized controlled trial to evaluate "fast-track" elective open infrarenal aneurysm repair.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fast-track programs have been introduced in many surgical fields to minimize postoperative morbidity and mortality. Morbidity after elective open infrarenal aneurysm repair is as high as 30%; mortality ranges up to 10%. In terms of open infrarenal aneurysm repair, no randomized controlled trials exist to introduce and evaluate such patient care programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study involved prospective randomization of 82 patients in a "traditional" and a "fast-track" treatment arm. Main differences consisted in preoperative bowel washout (none vs. 3 l cleaning solution) and analgesia (patient controlled analgesia vs. patient controlled epidural analgesia). Study endpoints were morbidity and mortality, need for postoperative mechanical ventilation, and length of stay (LOS) on intensive care unit (ICU).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The need for assisted postoperative ventilation was significantly higher in the traditional group (33.3% vs. 5.4%; p = 0.011). Median LOS on ICU was shorter in the fast-track group, 41 vs. 20 h. The rate of postoperative medical complications was significantly lower in the fast-track group, 16.2% vs. 35.7% (p = 0.045).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We introduced and evaluated an optimized patient care program for patients undergoing open infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair which showed a significant advantage for "fast-track" patients in terms of postoperative morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. bernd.muehling@uniklinik-ulm.de
authors.forename: Bernd M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Muehling
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Halter
authors.forename: Gunter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schelzig
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steffen
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meierhenrich
authors.forename: Ludger
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sunder-Plassmann
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Orend
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D004434:Early Ambulation; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D019990:Perioperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D015996:Survival Rate