title: Emergency endovascular aneurysm repair for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms: an institutional experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Emergency endovascular aneurysm repair (eEVAR) for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAA) is still under investigation. Since installation of an urgent eEVAR kit in our hospital, all patients with a rAAA or urgent thoracic aortic aneurysm are candidates for eEVAR or eTEVAR (emergency thoracic EVAR), respectively. For this study, we analyzed all rAAA patients treated with eEVAR.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were recorded prospectively. Criteria for an eEVAR were an infrarenal neck > or = 15 mm, acceptable landing zone, angles below 70 degrees and a good femoral approach. We prefer preoperative angio CT-scan but in case of instability, an intra-aortic balloon can stabilize the patient during angiography (in the OR) to decide between open or eEVAR repair. Follow-up was performed on regular intervals by duplex or CT-scan. Thirty-day mortality and overall survival were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Since 2006, nine male rAAA patients with a mean age of 73 years (range : 62-82) had eEVAR repair. Aneurysm diameter was 8 cm (range : 5.8-11). The Hardman index was 1.5 (range : 0-3). In eight patients an aorto-uni-iliac device was placed succesfully followed by a femorofemoral crossover bypass. The 30-day operative mortality was 12.5% (one patient with septic shock). Three patients showed a type 2 endoleak with stable diameter during follow-up but one patient showed expansion 4 years after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treating rAAA with eEVAR in selected patients with acceptable anatomy and a kit permanently available in the operating room yielded good results by a surgical team trained for both open and eEVAR repair. The conversion rate was low (11%) and the survival (immediate and 30-days) was excellent (87.5%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, B-2650 Edegem, Belgium.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Delalieux
authors.forename: J M H
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hendriks
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lauwers
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schwagten
authors.forename: Ph
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jorens
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: d'Archambeau
authors.forename: Th
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Van der Zijden
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hertoghs
authors.forename: P E Y
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Van Schil
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000601:surgery; D021721:Balloon Occlusion; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D004630:Emergencies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography