title: [Endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms: 6 years of experience at a single centre].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to assess the effectiveness of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair (EVAR) through a retrospective review of 6 years' experience at a single centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  From April 2005 to August 2011, 222 patients affected by abdominal aortic aneurysms underwent EVAR. We evaluated primary technical success, postprocedural mortality, intraprocedural and postprocedural complications with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (US) follow-up at 1, 6 and 12 months and annually thereafter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The procedures were elective in 75.7% and urgent due to symptomatic or ruptured aneurysm in 24.3%. Technical success was 98.6%; three patients (1.4%) required conversion to open surgery. Postoperative mortality rate was 24% for urgent and 2.3% for elective procedures. During a mean follow-up period of 29.6 months, no cases of stent-graft migration were observed; the overall incidence of endoleaks was 27% (60/222) and comprised four type I (1.8%) and one type III (0.45%), all treated by stent-graft extension, and 55 type 2 (24.8%), eight of which (14.5%) were treated by percutaneous injection of thrombin. In 10/222 cases (4.5%), thrombotic occlusion of the iliac extension was detected, which was successfully treated by transcatheter intra-arterial thrombolysis. One patient developed stent-graft infection requiring surgical explantation. Average hospital stay was 4 days, and average time in intensive care was 2 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consistent with the literature data, our study confirms the safety and long-term efficacy of EVAR for treating AAA.
authors.affiliation: SCDU Radiodiagnostica e Radiologia Interventistica AOU Maggiore della Carità, Cso Mazzini 18, 28100 Novara, Italy. rfossaceca@hotmail.com
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fossaceca
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guzzardi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cerini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Terlizzi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Malatesta
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Filice
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brustia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carriero
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000601:surgery*; D000792:Angiography; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003287:Contrast Media; D057510:Endovascular Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media