Debate: whether young, good-risk patients should be treated with endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

As endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair has become increasingly prominent in our vascular surgery practices, the discussion regarding long-term durability continues. The initial randomized trials that enrolled patients almost 10 years ago revealed a short-term survival advantage with endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair at the expense of a higher reintervention rate and loss of that initial survival advantage in the longer term. Continuing and healthy debate over the practical importance of these findings has resulted in somewhat differing practice patterns on either side of the Atlantic. This debate explores the issues surrounding whether younger, good-risk patients with a long life expectancy should be treated with endovascular repair.