Post-endograft abdominal aortic aneurysm shrinkage varies among hospitals: observations from multicenter trials.

Purpose:To evaluate differences in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) shrinkage among hospitals following protocol-driven patient selection and using endografts from a single manufacturer.Methods:Standardized inclusion criteria for the Talent endograft multicenter trials included AAA diameter ≥40 mm and proximal neck limits of length ≥5 mm, diameter 14 to 32 mm, and angle ≤60°. AAA reporting standards categories were used to classify distal aorta and common iliac artery involvement. Serial computed tomographic scans through 12-month follow-up were examined by independent core laboratory review. Significant shrinkage was defined as a ≥5-mm decrease in the AAA largest minor axis diameter. Trial sites with >10 complete study cases were selected for stepwise logistic regression analysis. In the 13 trial sites meeting this criterion, 323 patients (mean age 74; 93% men) were treated for aneurysms with a mean pretreatment diameter of 53 mm.Results:At 12 months, significant AAA shrinkage occurred in 192 (59%) cases....