title: Reduced access aortic exposure (RAAE) technique for infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A reduced access aortic exposure (RAAE) technique for repair of infrarenal AAA repair has been evaluated and the short-term surgical outcomes are compared with conventional open repair (OPEN).
  
  
  METHODS
  All consecutive patients having repair of infrarenal AAA over a period of 3 years were included in this study. A group of these patients had AAA repair using the RAAE technique with a small midline incision (<8 cm). Patient characteristics and peri-operative outcomes were compared with the other group treated with the traditional full-length midline incision (OPEN).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty patients underwent AAA repair in this study (38 in the RAAE group and 22 in the OPEN group). The age, sex distribution and co-morbidities were similar across the two groups (median age 76 and 75 years respectively). The RAAE group had a significantly shorter Intensive care stay (2 vs. 4 days, p=0.041) and a shorter total hospital stay (9 vs. 14 days, p=0.004). Significant postoperative chest infection was recorded in 13% (5/38) in the RAAE group as compared to 41% (9/21) in the OPEN group (p=0.025).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The RAAE technique for infra renal AAA repair is feasible and safe, and allows quicker postoperative recovery with comparable morbidity and mortality to the conventional technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Salisbury District Hospital, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK. mkhan702@aol.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bhatti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Strike
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ghauri
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ranaboldo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery*; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D016019:Survival Analysis