[Surgery for ruptured abdominal aneurysm assisted by vascular unit team at the primary receiving hospital]

The objective of the study was to compare emergency operations for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA) by a mobile operation team, with operation for RAAA carried out at our vascular unit. During a five year period (1993-1998), 18 emergency operations were carried out for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) with rupture at the primary receiving hospital with assistance from a mobile operation team. In the same period 82 aneurysms with rupture were resected at our vascular surgical unit. Preoperatively, patients operated at the primary receiving hospitals had significantly lower blood pressure (P < 0.05) and an intraoperative higher blood loss (P < 0.05). Furthermore, postoperative complications tended to be higher among patients operated at hospitals without a vascular unit. consequently, the mortality was 67% compared to 47% in the department. However, 1/3 of the patients operated by the mobile operation team survived. Consequently, haemodynamically unstable non-transportable patients with an RAAA should be considered for surgery by a mobile operation team.