Suitability of ruptured AAA for endovascular repair

To determine the anatomical suitability and the range of endografts required to undertake an endovascular repair (EVR) program for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms.

The morphology of ruptured and nonruptured AAAs were compared by retrospective review of computed tomographic scans from 51 patients (47 men; mean age 76 years, range 55-90) with ruptured AAAs and 50 patients (37 men; mean age 74 years, range 57-75) with nonruptured AAAs. Three experienced clinicians reviewed the scans for EVR suitability based on a generic trimodular endograft with suprarenal fixation. Endograft oversizing was assumed to be 10% to 20%.

Interobserver agreement was high, with a mean kappa of 0.78 (range 0.75-0.83, p<0.001). In all, 41% of ruptured and 68% of nonruptured AAAs were suitable for EVR (p=0.009). Ruptured AAAs had shorter mean neck lengths (17+/-12 versus 22+/-11 mm, p=0.031) and larger mean aneurysm diameters (75+/-15 versus 63+/-9 mm, p>0.001). Neck length and neck diameter were significantly correlated for ruptured AAAs (r=-0.34, p=0.018). The main contraindication to EVR was hostile neck morphology. A range of endografts with aortic components from 24 to 32 mm and iliac components from 12 to 22 mm would be required to stent 41% of ruptured AAAs.

Ruptured AAAs are less suitable for EVR due to differing neck morphology. An EVR program for ruptured AAA requires an inventory of endografts with appropriate aortic and iliac components.