Evaluation of the surgical risk in surgery of aneurysms of the abdominal aorta. Therapeutic deductions. Apropos of a retrospective study of 250 surgically treated aneurysms

: A retrospective study of 250 patients operated upon for infrarenal abdominal aorta aneurysm provided data for evaluation of the surgical risk as a function of three developmental situations: asymptomatic aneurysms, aneurysms evolving by subacute symptomatology and ruptured aneurysms. Mortality varied as a function of group, being 3% for the asymptomatic group, 21% for evolving aneurysms and 69% for ruptured aneurysms. Perioperative mortality was related to age and cardiovascular risk factors. Various clinical and pathologic aspects as well as means of follow up review are discussed, allowing definition of therapy as a function of previous clinical status and evolution of the aneurysm.