First long-term evidence supporting endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms

Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2013 Apr;11(4):399-402. doi: 10.1586/erc.13.4.

Abstract

The traditional method of treating abdominal aortic aneurysms with open surgical repair has been steadily replaced by endovascular repair, thought to be a more minimally invasive approach. It is not known, however, whether the endovascular approach is truly less invasive for operative physiology; in addition, this approach has a different spectrum of complications. As such, it is uncertain whether elective endovascular repair of nonruptured aortic aneurysms reduces long-term morbidity and mortality compared with traditional open approaches. In this article, the authors evaluate a recent publication investigating long-term outcomes of a prospective randomized multicenter trial evaluating patients with asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms treated with either endovascular or open repair, and discuss the results in the context of current evidence.

Publication types

  • Comment
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural