[Aneurysm ruptures of the abdominal aorta]

Rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm remains a dramatic complication and its operative mortality is still about 50%. The authors reviewed 41 cases of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms which were operated from 1978 to 1983. On arrival at the hospital and after clinical diagnosis, the patients were rapidly brought to the theatre without specialized complementary examinations. Coated Dacron prostheses were used in all cases. The operated patients were brought to the intensive care unit where special attention was given to central venous pressure, arterial pressure and capillary wedge pressure (Swan-Ganz-catheter). The authors tried to determine the influence of shock, preoperative delay, blood loss, age and associated diseases on the mortality rate. In this series the perioperative mortality (30 days) could be reduced to 39%.