How safe is open abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery for octogenarians in New Zealand?
BACKGROUND
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an important cause of mortality for the aged, a group that has been denied surgery in the past for fear of peri-operative mortality. Is this attitude still justified?


METHODS
Analysis of prospectively gathered data from a vascular database.


RESULTS
10.9% of all open AAA operations were in patients older than 79 years with an 8% mortality rate compared to 3% for younger patients. For fit elderly patients with ASA scores less than 3, mortality was just under 4%. Renal failure and wound dehiscence were more common in the elderly.


CONCLUSIONS
When endovascular repair is not possible in a fit elderly patient, open surgery can be performed with acceptable results.
Thomson
Ian A
IA
Vascular Society of New Zealand, and Section of Surgery, Dunedin School of Medicine, Dunedin Hospital, Dunedin, New Zealand. ian.thomson@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Goh
Fern
F
Livingstone
Vicki
V
van Rij
Andre M
AM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D018579:Patient Selection; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality*