Resection of abdominal aortic aneurysm in patients with low ejection fractions

The perioperative and long-term survival of patients who undergo resection of abdominal aortic aneurysm is often determined by coexisting cardiac disease. This study evaluates the influence of left ventricular ejection fraction on both perioperative and long-term morbidity and mortality. Preoperative ejection fraction was measured in 104 of 208 patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysm resection. Nineteen patients were found to have ejection fractions less than 0.35, and this group was compared to 85 patients with ejection fractions greater than 0.35. The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of age, sex, preoperative renal function, or smoking status. The groups were significantly different with respect to the prevalence of prior myocardial infarction (79% of the low ejection fraction group vs 31% of the high ejection fraction group) and symptoms equivalent to New York Heart Association class II or greater (47% of the low ejection fraction group vs 24% of the high ejection fraction group) but not prior myocardial revascularization procedure (42% of the low ejection fraction group vs 31% of the high ejection fraction group). Surgical factors including aneurysm size, duration of aortic cross-clamping, and extent of arterial replacement did not differ significantly between the two groups. The perioperative mortality was not significantly different (low ejection fraction, 5%; high ejection fraction, 2%). The cumulative life-table survival of the two groups was not statistically different. Two patients in the low ejection fraction group died in the follow-up period, yielding a 4-year actuarial survival of 0.74. This is compared to 10 deaths and actuarial survival of 0.63 (p = NS) in the high ejection fraction group. We conclude that patients should not be denied aneurysm resection solely on the basis of left ventricular ejection fraction.