Open surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm or aorto-iliac occlusive disease--clinical and ultrasonographic long-term results.

OBJECTIVE To determine postoperative and long-term outcome and assess the relevance of abdominal ultrasound (US) after surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) or aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD). METHODS Records of 1704 consecutive patients having graft implantation from 1988 to 2000, either for AAA (n = 1144) or for AIOD (n = 560), were reviewed. In 2006, follow-up was 9180 patients-years for the AAA group and 5450 patients-years for the AIOD group. Among 1006 alive patients, 377 were invited randomly for US and clinical examination. RESULTS Hospital death occurred in 99 patients (8.6%) of the AAA group (53% in ruptured and 2% in elective AAA), and in 18 patients of the AIOD group (3.2%). There were 581 late deaths, including eight due to prosthesis infection, one to pseudo-aneurysm rupture, and one to graft thrombosis (0.6% graft-related mortality). Prosthesis thrombosis occurred in 32 patients (26 in AIOD group, p < 0.001), and graft infection in 26 (17 in AAA group, p < 0.01). Pseudoaneurysms developed in 90 patients (68 in AIOD group, p < 0.001), including eight at the proximal aortic, one at the distal aortic, two at the iliac and 79 at the femoral anastomosis. In the AAA group only, surgery was required for a new thoraco-abdominal and pararenal aneurysm in eight and four patients, respectively, while US evidenced a 26-35 and a 36-50 mm supraanastomotic aortic dilatation in 65 (32%) and in 14 (7%) patients, at a mean follow-up of 10.5 and 9.3 years, respectively. CONCLUSION Long-term results are good after open surgery for AAA or AIOD. Prosthesis infection and anastomotic pseudo-aneurysm are the main causes of graft-related mortality and morbidity, respectively. Because of high incidence of asymptomatic supraanastomotic aortic dilatation, all patients with a history of AAA repair should have regular abdominal US.