title: Complications and reintervention following elective open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: a 10-year retrospective analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent data have shown higher rates of graft related complication or reintervention in patients undergoing endovascular aneurysm repair compared with open aneurysm surgery (OAS). However, there are fewer data available regarding procedure related reinterventions following  OAS. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of procedure related complications and reintervention following elective open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from the dedicated Portsmouth POSSUM database.  Data from 361 patients (median age: 72 years, 91.4% male) who underwent elective OAS between 1993 and 2004 were analysed. The incidences of early and late complications and subsequent reintervention were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median follow-up duration was 10 years 4 months (range:  5 years - 16 years 4 months). There were 52 reinterventions in the follow-up period. Of these, 34.6% were for incisional hernias or small bowel obstruction with the majority of the remaining laparotomies performed for bleeding or distal ischaemic complications. Almost two-thirds (63.5%)  of reinterventions occurred in the first 30 days. There were 30 emergency readmissions to the acute surgical wards that did not require reintervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OAS carries a significant reintervention rate. In this study, 54% of reinterventions were directly related to laparotomy.
authors.affiliation: Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, UK. willkieffer@gmail.com
authors.forename: W K M
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Kieffer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sonnenberg
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Windhaber
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pal
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pemberton
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012086:Reoperation / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D024162:Second-Look Surgery / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality