Endovascular Therapy for Acute Mesenteric Ischemia: an NSQIP Analysis

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) continues to carry high morbidity and mortality. Endovascular strategies have been increasingly used in the management of AMI. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of endovascular therapy on outcomes of patients with AMI. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried to identify all patients requiring emergency surgical intervention for AMI. Demographics, clinical data, interventions, and outcomes were extracted. Patients were compared according to treatment (endovascular versus hybrid versus open revascularization). Over the six-year study period, a total of 439 patients were found to have AMI [27 (6.2%) endovascular, 23 (5.2%) hybrid, and 389 (88.6%) open revascularization]. A total of 16 (59.3%) patients in the endovascular group avoided laparotomy. There was a trend toward lower transfusion requirements (intraoperative transfusion: 3.7% for endovascular vs 17.4% for hybrid vs 19.3% for open, adjusted. P = 0.127) and complications in particular pneumonia (22.2% vs 39.1% vs 27.8%, respectively, Adj. P = 0.392) and sepsis (25.9% vs 21.7% vs 35.5%, adjusted P = 0.260). Endovascular therapy was associated with a 2.5-fold decrease in the risk of death [odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 0.4 (0.2, 0.9), adjusted P = 0.018]. In this analysis of morbidity and mortality, endovascular therapy was associated with decreased need for laparotomy and a trend toward lower transfusion requirements and complications, in particular pneumonia and sepsis. Endovascular first therapy was associated with a 2.5-fold decrease in the risk of death. Further prospective evaluation of these results is warranted.