Abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery for octogenarians.
OBJECTIVE
To define the indications for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery in octogenarians.


METHODS
We reviewed septuagenarians and octogenarians with a nonspecific AAA diagnosed at our hospital between January, 1990 and June, 2006.


RESULTS
Among a total 628 patients seen, 306 were in their 70s (group A) and 108 were in their 80s or older (group B). The mortality rate associated with elective surgery was 1.9% in group A and 7.0% in group B. Of the survivors, 12 (5.7%) of 210 in group A and 8 (15.1%) of 53 in group B died within 2 years. Of the patients who did not undergo surgery, 8 of 53 in group A and 8 of 31 in group B had AAAs greater than 6 cm in diameter. The rupture-free rates of AAAs greater than 6 cm in diameter were 64% at 1 year and 0% at 4 years in group A, and 88% at 1 year and 26% at 3 years in group B. The rupture-free rates of AAAs smaller than 6 cm in diameter were 95% at 3 years and 85% at 5 years in group A, and 100% at 5 years in group B.


CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that AAAs over 6 cm in diameter were an appropriate indication for surgery in octogenarians.
Ishibashi
Hiroyuki
H
Department of Vascular Surgery, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan.
Ohta
Takashi
T
Sugimoto
Ikuo
I
Iwata
Hirohide
H
Kawanishi
Jun
J
Yamada
Tetsuya
T
Tadakoshi
Masao
M
Hida
Noriyuki
N
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D015607:Stents; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures