[Abdominal aortic aneurysm in the patient over 70--surgery in any case?]

During 1980 and 1981, 36 patients aged 70 years or older were operated on for abdominal aortic aneurysm. The aneurysm was already ruptured in almost half of the patients. Eight patients died early (22%), of whom 7 were operated on because of perforation. Main cause of early death was cardiac failure (5). During an average observation period of 12 months, 4 patients died late and 4 claimed unsatisfactory recovery. All patients over 70 years of age with abdominal aortic aneurysm should be investigated with respect to operability. The risk in elective surgery is low and the postoperative prognosis for these patients is good. Surgery for ruptured aneurysm still carries high operative mortality in this age group and a poor longterm prognosis.