Change in Aneurysm Diameter after Stent-Graft Repair of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Purpose:To compare the changes in aneurysm size following endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for ruptured versus elective abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA).Methods:Aneurysm sac diameter was measured from computed tomographic (CT) scans in 14 hemodynamically stable patients (14 men; mean age 74±7 years, range 60 to 83) prior to emergent stent-graft repair for ruptured AAA. The aneurysm diameter change was followed postprocedurally with serial CT and the outcomes compared to 74 AAA patients (58 men; mean age 74± 7 years, range 56 to 87) having elective EVAR in the same time period. The mean rate of sac decrease (mm/month) was calculated for each group.Results:There were 3 postoperative deaths in the ruptured AAA cohort, leaving 11 patients available for follow-up analysis (mean 16 months, range 2–49). Eight (73%) patients with ruptured AAA demonstrated significantly decreased (>5 mm) aneurysm diameters compared with 32 (43%) elective cases (p=0.07) followed a mean 20 months (range 3–51). The mean rate of sa...