Laparoscopic abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in octogenarians

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Procedures
• Geriatric Medicine

Background:

• Open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair in octogenarians carries significant risks.
• Limited data exists on the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic AAA repair in this elderly population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the experience and outcomes of total laparoscopic repair for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) in octogenarian patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 29 octogenarian patients (median age 82) undergoing total laparoscopic AAA repair between 2002 and 2008.
• Data collected included operative time, clamping time, blood loss, complications, and postoperative recovery.

Main Results:

• The majority of procedures (89.6%) were totally laparoscopic.
• Postoperative mortality was 6.9%, with severe systemic non-lethal complications in 14.8%.
• Median hospital stay was 11 days, with 59.2% discharged directly home.

Conclusions:

• Total laparoscopic AAA repair is a challenging yet worthwhile procedure in octogenarians.
• Laparoscopic AAA repair is a valuable adjunct to open surgery and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) in this patient group.
• Encourages offering laparoscopic AAA repair to octogenarians with good surgical risk.