[Open and endovascular repair of iliac artery aneurysms]

Iliac artery aneurysms make up 2% of all aneurysms. There are only a few data available on the results of surgical treatment, therefore the optimal treatment is unclear. Our objective was the retrospective analysis of the perioperative morbidity and mortality of patients who underwent iliac artery surgery as well as the comparison of elective open surgery and endovascular iliac aneurysm repair (EVIAR).

Retrospective analysis of patients who underwent surgery for iliac artery aneurysm between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2014.

During the 10-year period, 62 patients with a mean age of 68.9 years underwent elective surgery for iliac artery aneurysm (54 males, 87.1%). In 10 cases acute surgery was performed due to aneurysm ruptures (13.9%), 3 patients died within the perioperative period (30%). Regarding anatomical localisation, aneurysm developed mostly on the common iliac artery (80.6%). As an elective surgery, 35 patients (56.5%) underwent open surgery, 25 (40.3%) underwent EVIAR and other endovascular interventions were performed in 2 cases (3.2%). Postoperative complications (1 patient [4.0%] vs. 17 patients [48.5%]; p<0.001) and intensive care treatment (29 patients [82.8%] vs. 2 patients [8.0%]; p<0.001) were significantly rarer after EVIAR than after open surgery. Furthermore, EVIAR resulted in considerably shorter postoperative hospital stays (4.7 ± 2.3 days vs. 11.8 ± 12.2 days; p = 0.006) and significantly less blood transfusion demand (1 patient [4.0%] vs. 26 patients [74.2%]; p<0.001). There were no significant differences regarding long-term survival rates between EVIAR and open surgery (81.4% vs. 71.4%; p = 0.95).

In case of the surgical treatment of iliac artery aneurysms, owing to the lower complication rates and shorter postoperative length of stay, EVIAR is primarily recommended. Orv Hetil. 2018; 159(13): 520-525.