Predictors of perioperative and late survival in octogenarians undergoing elective endovascular abdominal aortic repair

Outcomes of octogenarians receiving aortic repair

OBJECTIVE

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair is recommended for aneurysms greater than 5.5 cm in men and 5 cm in women. Because AAA is more common among the elderly, we sought to evaluate contemporary practices of elective AAA repair and 2-year postoperative outcomes in octogenarians.

METHODS

We identified octogenarians undergoing elective AAA repair in the Vascular Quality Initiative from 2012 to 2019. We included patients undergoing endovascular (EVAR) and open (OAR) aortic repair. Demographics and comorbid conditions were compared between patient groups. Frailty was calculated using previously published methods. Patients with frailty scores above the 75th percentile of the operative cohort were considered high frailty. The primary outcome was 1- and 2-year mortality. Secondary outcomes included postoperative complications. Standard statistical methods were utilized. Cox proportional hazard models were used to identify factors that affect mortality.

RESULTS

The frequency of AAA repair in octogenarians has remained stable. Of all aortic operations, 21.4% were performed on octogenarians; 9735 (23.3% of 41,712) EVAR and 755 (10.3% of 7325) OARs. Among octogenarian patients, 42.0% of EVARs were under size thresholds: 48.3% males ≤5.5 cm diameter and 21.5% females ≤5.0 cm diameter compared with 18.8% OARs: 23.4% males and 10.7% females. Additionally, 25.6% had high frailty scores. Among octogenarians, 1- and 2-year mortality was 9.3% ± 0.3% and 14.8% ± 0.4% for EVAR and 15.2% ± 1.3% and 18.9% ± 1.5% for OAR patients, respectively (P < .01). In-hospital mortality rate was higher after OAR (0.87% EVAR vs 7.55% OAR; P < .01) and differed with frailty (EVAR, low frailty 0.2% vs high frailty 1.7%; OAR, low frailty 2.3% vs high frailty 15.6%). For EVAR, patient factors associated with mortality included heart failure (hazard ratio [HR], 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.25; P = .001) and dialysis (HR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.13-2.59; P = .012). For OAR, coronary artery disease (HR, 1.55; 95% CI, 0.98-2.44; P = .062) was associated with mortality. Statin use was protective of mortality for all patients (EVAR: HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.60-0.78; P < .01): OAR: HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.37-0.92; P = .020). Among octogenarians, high frailty was independently associated with 2-year mortality (EVAR: HR, 3.36; 95% CI, 2.62-4.31; P < .01 and OAR: HR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.09-5.10; P = .030).

CONCLUSIONS

Nationally, a large portion of elective AAA repair in octogenarians is performed below recommended size thresholds, one-quarter of whom are frail with poor long-term 2-year mortality rates. High 2-year mortality following AAA repair in this age group exceeds the published risk of rupture for 5- to 5.5-cm AAA, suggesting that increase in the size threshold of elective repair among octogenarians should be explored.

Antithrombotic Therapy for Aortic Aneurysms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVES

The role of antithrombotic therapy in the management of aortic and peripheral aneurysms is unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the impact of antithrombotics on clinical outcomes for aortic and peripheral aneurysms.

METHODS

Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL databases were searched. Randomised controlled trials and observational studies investigating the effect of antithrombotic therapy on clinical outcomes for patients with any aortic or peripheral artery aneurysm were included.

RESULTS

Fifty-nine studies (28 with antiplatelet agents, 12 anticoagulants, two intra-operative heparin, and 16 any antithrombotic agent) involving 122 102 patients were included. Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) growth rate was not significantly associated with the use of antiplatelet therapy (SMD -0.36 mm/year; 95% CI -0.75 - 0.02; p = .060; GRADE certainty: very low). Antithrombotics were associated with increased 30 day mortality for patients with AAAs undergoing intervention (OR 2.30; 95% CI 1.51 - 3.51; p < .001; GRADE certainty: low). Following intervention, antiplatelet therapy was associated with reduced long term all cause mortality (HR 0.84; 95% CI 0.76 - 0.92; p < .001; GRADE certainty: moderate), whilst anticoagulants were associated with increased all cause mortality (HR 1.64; 95% CI 1.14 - 2.37; p = .008; GRADE certainty: very low), endoleak within three years (OR 1.99; 95% CI 1.10 - 3.60; p = .020; I² = 60%; GRADE certainty: very low), and an increased re-intervention rate at one year (OR 3.25; 95% CI 1.82 - 5.82; p < .001; I² = 35%; GRADE certainty: moderate). Five studies examined antithrombotic therapy for popliteal aneurysms. Meta-analysis was not possible due to heterogeneity.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a lack of high quality data examining antithrombotic therapy for patients with aneurysms. Antiplatelet therapy was associated with a reduction in post-intervention all cause mortality for AAA, whilst anticoagulants were associated with an increased risk of all cause mortality, endoleak, and re-intervention. Large, well designed trials are still required to determine the therapeutic benefits of antithrombotic agents in this setting.

Prediction of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Growth After Endovascular Aortic Repair by Measuring Brachial-Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity

BACKGROUND

Although endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) has become the dominant therapeutic approach for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), continued sac growth after EVAR remains a major concern and is still unpredictable. Since AAA formation is thought to arise from atherosclerotic vascular damage of the aortic wall, we hypothesize that the severity of atherosclerosis in the AAA wall may influence sac growth. Therefore, we investigated whether brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), a marker of atherosclerosis severity obtained by noninvasive automatic devices, can predict sac growth after EVAR.

METHODS

The data from all patients who underwent elective EVAR for AAA at a single institution from January 2012 to March 2019 were reviewed. We extracted the baPWV before EVAR and divided patients into 2 groups according to the baPWV cut-off value identified by a classification and regression tree (CART). The primary outcome was significant sac growth, defined as an increment of 5 mm or more in aneurysm size after EVAR relative to the aneurysm size before EVAR. Cox regression analysis was performed to assess the potential predictors of sac growth.

RESULTS

During the follow-up period, 222 consecutive patients underwent elective EVAR for AAA. Of these, 175 patients with a median follow-up period of 36 months were included. The baPWV values were classified as <1854 cm/s (Group 0) in 100 patients and ≥1854 cm/s (Group 1) in 75 patients according to the cut-off value identified by CART. During the follow-up period, 10 (10.0%) patients in Group 0 and 18 (24.0%) patients in Group 1 demonstrated significant sac growth (P = 0.021). Risk factors for significant sac growth included baPWV (hazard ratio [HR], 3.059; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41-6.64; P = 0.005), age (HR, 1.078; 95% CI, 1.01-1.16; P = 0.036), and persistent type II endoleak (HR, 3.552; 95% CI, 1.69-7.48; P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that baPWV remained a significant risk factor for sac growth after adjustment for age (HR, 2.602; 95% CI, 1.15-5.82; P = 0.02) and persistent type II endoleak (HR, 2.957; 95% CI, 1.36-6.43; P = 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

The baPWV before EVAR was associated with significant sac growth after EVAR; thus, measuring the baPWV may be useful for assessing the risk of future sac growth in patients after EVAR.

Endovascular repair for thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms: current status and future challenges

Open surgical repair has been the gold standard for treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAA). Currently, open surgical repair has been reserved mostly for young and fit patients with connective tissue disorders, using separate branch vessel reconstructions instead of 'island' patches, and distal perfusion instead of a 'clamp and go' technique. Endovascular repair has gained widespread acceptance because of its potential to significantly decrease morbidity and mortality. Several large aortic centers have developed dedicated clinical programs to advance techniques of fenestrated-branched endovascular aortic repair (FB-EVAR) using patient-specific and off-the-shelf devices, which offers a less-invasive alternative to open repair. Although FB-EVAR was initially considered an option for older and frail patients, many centers have expanded its indications to any patient with suitable anatomy and no evidence of connective tissue disorders, independent of their clinical risk. In this article, we review current techniques and outcomes of endovascular TAAA repair.

Outcomes of emergency endovascular versus open repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture

Purpose

Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) is one of the most common aortic emergencies in vascular surgery and is associated with high operative mortality and morbidity rates despite recent treatment advances. We evaluated operative mortality risks for the outcomes of emergency endovascular aneurysm repair (eEVAR) vs. open repair in rAAA.

Methods

Twenty patients underwent eEVAR (n = 12) or open repair (n = 8) for rAAA between 2016 and 2020. We adopted the EVAR first strategy since 2018. Primary endpoints included in-hospital mortality and 1-year survival. The outcome variables were analyzed with Fisher exact, Mann-Whitney test, and linear by linear association. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival.

Results

There were 13 males (65.0%) and the median age of the study cohort was 78.0 years (range, 49–88 years). In-hospital mortality occurred in 7 patients (35.0%); 5 (50.0%) in the early period and 2 (20.0%) in the later period of this series. According to the procedure type, 4 (50.0%) and 3 (25.0%) in-hospital mortalities occurred in the open repair and eEVAR patients, respectively. In 6 patients (50.0%), eEVAR was performed on unfavorable anatomy. The 1-year survival of eEVAR vs. open repair group was 75% ± 12.5% and 50% ± 17.7%, respectively. On univariate analysis, preoperative high-risk indices, postoperative acute renal failure requiring dialysis, pulmonary complications, and prolonged mechanical ventilation were associated with higher operative mortality.

Conclusion

The current data showed relatively superior outcomes with eEVAR vs. open repair for rAAA, even in some patients with unfavorable anatomy supporting the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of EVAR first strategy.

Outcomes in Octogenarians and the Effect of Comorbidities After Intact Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair in the Netherlands: A Nationwide Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

Age is an independent risk factor for mortality after both elective open surgical repair (OSR) and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). As a result of an ageing population, and the less invasive nature of EVAR, the number of patients over 80 years (octogenarians) being treated is increasing. The mortality and morbidity following aneurysm surgery are increased for octogenarians. However, the mortality for octogenarians who have either low or high peri-operative risks remains unclear. The aim of this study was to provide peri-operative outcomes of octogenarians vs. non-octogenarians after OSR and EVAR for intact aneurysms, including separate subanalyses for elective and urgent intact repair, based on a nationwide cohort. Furthermore, the influence of comorbidities on peri-operative mortality was examined.

METHODS

All patients registered in the Dutch Surgical Aneurysm Audit (DSAA) undergoing intact AAA repair between 2013 and 2018, were included. Patient characteristics and peri-operative outcomes (peri-operative mortality, and major complications) of octogenarians vs. non-octogenarians for both OSR and EVAR were compared using descriptive statistics. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to examine whether age and the presence of cardiac, pulmonary, or renal comorbidities were associated with mortality.

RESULTS

This study included 12 054 EVAR patients (3 015 octogenarians), and 3 815 OSR patients (425 octogenarians). Octogenarians in both the EVAR and OSR treatment groups were more often female and had more comorbidities. In both treatment groups, octogenarians had significantly higher mortality rates following intact repair as well as higher major complication rates. Mortality rates of octogenarians were 1.9% after EVAR and 11.8% after OSR. Age ≥ 80 and presence of cardiac, pulmonary, and renal comorbidities were associated with mortality after EVAR and OSR.

CONCLUSION

Because of the high peri-operative mortality rates of octogenarians, awareness of the presence of comorbidities is essential in the decision making process before offering aneurysm repair to this cohort, especially when OSR is considered.

Outcome of elective endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms in octogenarians

AIM

The need to adjust the indications of elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair among patients with a limited life-span deserves a specific evaluation for octogenarians. The aim of this study was to compare the postoperative results and the long-term survival after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic and/or iliac aneurysms (EVAR) in octogenarians compared with patients under 80 years of age.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of 241 consecutive patients who underwent an elective EVAR between 2000 and 2017. EVAR was not considered among patients with clear life-limiting conditions. Patients receiving other than commercially standard infra-renal endoprostheses were excluded.

RESULTS

Seventy patients (29.0%) were octogenarians. They had a lower rate of active smoking (10.0% vs. 30.4%, P < 0.001) and a higher prevalence of previous cerebrovascular disease (21.4% vs. 11.7%, P = 0.055) than younger patients. Thirty-day/in-hospital complication and mortality rates were not significantly higher among octogenarians when compared with younger patients (24.3% vs. 16.9% and 2.9% vs. 2.4%, respectively). Octogenarians had a lower long-term survival at 1, 3 and 5 years (92.6% vs. 93.3%, 67.7% vs. 78.0% and 39.3% vs. 60.6%, P = 0.039) in the bivariate analysis. However, an age ≥ 80 years per se was not an independent predictor of survival after adjustment for confounding factors.

CONCLUSION

An age above 80 years was not associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications or long-term mortality. Our results suggest that EVAR can be considered in elderly patients without a clear life-limiting condition and with a suitable aneurysm anatomy. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 392-397.

Aneurysms and dissections - What is new in the literature of 2019/2020 - a European Society of Vascular Medicine annual review

More than 6,000 publications were found in PubMed concerning aneurysms and dissections, including those Epub ahead of print in 2019, printed in 2020. Among those publications 327 were selected and considered of particular interest.

Type IA endoleak caused by interlocked suprarenal bare-metal stents after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with successful endovascular rescue

A physically active 90-year-old man underwent endovascular repair of an asymptomatic but enlarging abdominal aortic aneurysm. Postoperative computed tomography demonstrated entanglement of nonadjacent proximal bare-metal stents. This was associated with graft infolding and a type IA endoleak. The patient underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and placement of a Palmaz stent. Subsequent surveillance imaging showed resolution of the type I endoleak >1 year later. This report demonstrates an uncommon cause of stent graft infolding, an already rare complication of endovascular aneurysm repair, and highlights the need to carefully assess the morphologic appearance of the proximal fixation stents after graft deployment.

Predictors of Survival in Patients Over 80 Years Old Treated with Fenestrated and Branched Endograft

BACKGROUND

Fenestrated and branched endovascular aneurysm repair endograft (f/bEVAR) allows the endovascular repair of thoracoabdominal and juxtarenal and pararenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (T-J-P-AAAs); however, given their high cost and complexity, their use should be limited to patients with life expectancy >2 years. Nevertheless, the number of patients older than 80 years treated by f/bEVAR is growing, with no hard evidence of the real efficacy in this context. The aim of the present study is to analyze the survival of ≥80-year-old patients treated with f/bEVAR, and to identify possible predictors of late mortality.

METHODS

An analysis of clinical, anatomical, and technical characteristics of patients treated with f/bEVAR for J-, P-, and T-AAA from 2010 to 2019 in a single academic center was performed. Follow-up data were collected prospectively with clinical visit and computed tomography angiography at discharge, after 6 months, and yearly thereafter. Survival after 2 years was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Possible predictors of mortality were evaluated by univariable/multivariable analysis.

RESULTS

In the study period, a total of 243 f/bEVARs were considered: 83 for TAAA (34%) and 160 for J/PAAA (66%). Mean age was 73 ± 6 years, with 35 (14%) patients ≥80 years old; 209 patients (86%) were male and 78 (39%) had an American Society of Anesthesiology score IV. The 30-day and 2-year survival were 96% and 80 ± 3%, respectively. At a mean follow-up of 36 ± 25 months, independent predictors of late mortality by Cox regression analysis were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic renal failure (CRF), and ≥80 years old (hazard ratio [HR] 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-3.2, P = 0.05; HR 1.7, 95% CI 1.01-3.4, P = 0.04; HR 3.1, 95% CI 1.5-6.3, P = 0.002, respectively). Preoperative clinical characteristics were similar in ≥80 years old versus younger patients, except for the prevalence of TAAA (14% vs. 38%, P = 0.04). The technical success and 30-day mortality were similar in ≥80 vs. <80-year-old patients (93% vs. 96%, P = 0.31; 7% vs. 3.5%, P = 0.60, respectively). The 2-year survival estimation was significantly lower in ≥80 years old compared with younger patients (62 ± 10% vs. 82 ± 3%, P = 0.003). The association of COPD and CRF significantly affects the 2-year survival in ≥80-year-old patients (no patients survived at 2 years) and was significantly different compared with the survival in ≥80-year-old patients without these risk factors (70 ± 11%, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The early mortality rate and the 2-year survival after f/bEVAR justify this type of treatment in patients ≥80 years old; however, the presence of comorbidities such as COPD and CRF significantly reduces mid-term survival in this group and should be taken into consideration in the indication to f/bEVAR.