[Surgical treatment of visceral artery aneurysms].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the experience with diagnosis and surgical treatment of visceral artery aneurysms (VAAs).


METHODS
From June 2003 to December 2008, 8 patients (2 male and 6 female) with 9 VAAs underwent surgical treatment. Mean age was 49 years (ranged from 30 to 72 years). The site of aneurysmal disease was splenic artery in 4 cases, superior mesenteric artery in 2 cases, renal artery in 2 cases (3 aneurysms). In 1 patient of splenic artery aneurysm, portal vein hypertension coexisted. All the VAAs of preoperative diagnostic workup consisted of a ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) scan, and digital subtraction angiography. Six patients were operated on and two patients was treated with endovascular procedures. Only one small VAAs was treated with follow-up.


RESULTS
No deaths or major complications occurred in the perioperative period. All the patients remained symptom free during a follow-up of 26.5 months (ranged from 2 to 60 months). Follow-up consisted of clinical and ultrasound scan examinations or CT scan at 1 and 6 months, and yearly thereafter.


CONCLUSIONS
Aggressive approach to the treatment of VAAs is essential. Elective open surgical treatment and an endovascular procedure of visceral artery aneurysms are both safe and effective, and offers satisfactory early and long term results. There is some evidence that small (< 2 cm) and asymptomatic VAAs may be safely observed.
Jiang
Mi-Er
ME
Department of Vascular Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, Affiliated to School of Medicine and Vascular Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200011, China. jiangme2005@yahoo.com.cn
Lu
Xin-Wu
XW
Huang
Ying
Y
Li
Wei-Min
WM
Liu
Xiao-Bing
XB
Yin
Min-Yi
MY
Zhao
Hai-Guang
HG
Shi
Hui-Hua
HH
Huang
Xin-Tian
XT
Lu
Min
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000601:surgery*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017538:Mesenteric Artery, Superior / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013157:Splenic Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome