[Surgery of abdominal aortic aneurysm--results in 502 patients]

Between 1975 and 1985 502 patients (52 female, 450 male, aged 29 to 88 years, mean 66 years) were operated for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). In 261 electively operated patients hospital mortality was 4.9% (group A). In 79 patients with impending rupture the rate was 12.2% (group B) and of 125 patients with a ruptured AAA 46.6% died (group C). Of 42 patients with thoraco-abdominal aneurysm (group D) 11 had a rupture. Mortality was 66%. These figures could be improved. Between November 1983 to the end of 1984 in group A lethality was 4.1% (2/49), in group B 6.25% (1/16), in group C 33% (8/24). Of the last 4 patients of group D operated electively 1 died. Reasons for this improvement were: 1. improved anesthesiological management, 2. use of graft-inclusion-technique, 3. implantation of straight tube grafts instead of bifurcated prostheses, 4. use of collagen-coated Dacron prostheses.