Management of secondary aorto-enteric fistulae: a multi-centre study

Secondary aorto-enteric fistulae (SAEF) are a rare, complex and life-threatening complication following aortic repair. Traditional treatment strategy has been with open aortic repair (OAR), with emergence of endovascular repair (EVAR) as a potentially viable initial treatment option. Controversy exists over optimal immediate and long-term management.

This was a retrospective, observational, multi-institutional cohort study. Patients who had been treated for SAEF between 2003 and 2020 were identified using a standardized database. Baseline characteristics, presenting features, microbiological, operative, and post-operative variables were recorded. The primary outcomes were short and mid-term mortality. Descriptive statistics, binomial regression, Kaplan-Meier and Cox age-adjusted survival analyses were performed.

Across 5 tertiary centres, a total of 47 patients treated for SAEF were included, 7 were female and the median (range) age at presentation was 74 years (48-93). In this cohort, 24 (51%) patients were treated with initially with OAR, 15 (32%) with EVAR-first and 8 (17%) non-operatively. The 30-day and 1-year mortality for all cases that underwent intervention was 21% and 46% respectively. Age-adjusted survival analysis revealed no statistically significant difference in mortality in the EVAR-first group compared to the OAR-first group, HR 0.99 (95% CI 0.94-1.03, P = 0.61).

In this study there was no difference in all-cause mortality in patients who had OAR or EVAR as first line treatment for SAEF. In the acute setting, alongside broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy, EVAR can be considered as an initial treatment for patients with SAEF, as a primary treatment or a bridge to definitive OAR.