Results of aortic grafting in occlusive vs aneurysmal disease

Recent demographic and biochemical studies have suggested that there may be significant differences in the population of patients undergoing reconstruction for an aortic aneurysm (AA) or atherosclerotic occlusive disease (OCC) of the abdominal aorta. The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the results of aortic surgery in these different patient groups. One hundred three patients undergoing aortic grafting were reviewed. Twenty-four patients underwent reconstruction for OCC, 65 selectively for asymptomatic aneurysms (EAA), and 14 for ruptured aortic aneurysms (RAA). The mean age for OCC patients (54 years) was significantly lower than that for EAA (68 years) or RAA patients (71 years). Patients with AA were predominantly male (92%) compared with those with OCC (62%). Despite the age and sex differences, there were no significant differences between the groups in the incidence of cardiac disease, hypertension, smoking history, diabetes mellitus, or renal or pulmonary disease. In addition, there were no significant intraoperative differences in terms of operative and clamp times, fluid administration, urine output, hypotension, or subsequent postoperative morbidity and mortality. We conclude that despite AA and OCC patients being demographically distinct, there is essentially no difference in elective aortic bifurcation graft surgery between these two populations.