Comparison of Endovascular and Open Repair of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in the United States in the Past Decade

Purpose: The purpose of this study is national-level comparison of the endovascular (EVAR) and open repair (OAR) of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in the United States from 2001 to 2010.

Methods: The data were obtained from nationwide inpatient sample from the Department of Health and Human Services. Ruptured AAA treated by OAR or EVAR were selected using combination ICD-9 codes.

Results: There were 42,126 cases of ruptured AAA of which 8,140 (19.3%) were repaired by EVAR. EVAR patients were older (74.1 vs. 72.8 years, p < 0.001) and had higher incidence of comorbidities compared with OAR group. EVAR patients had lower in-hospital mortality (25.9 vs. 39.1%, p < 0.001) and shorter hospital stay (10.4 vs. 13.7 days, p < 0.001). More patients were discharged home following EVAR (36.8 vs. 21.5%, p < 0.001). There was reduced need for institutional rehabilitation following EVAR (26.3 vs. 29.1%, p < 0.001). Females had significantly higher mortality compared with males after both EVAR (32.2 vs. 24.1%, p < 0.001) and OAR (46.2 vs. 36.9%, p < 0.001). The hospital mortality (41.3-25.8%, p < 0.001) and mean length of stay (11.8-9.7 days, p < 0.01) of EVAR steadily improved over the study period.

Conclusions: National level comparison of data from the past decade shows that in suitable cases, EVAR for ruptured AAA is associated with reduced hospital mortality, shorter hospital stay, and reduced need for rehabilitation. EVAR outcomes showed consistent improvement with time. Regardless of the type of repair, women had higher mortality compared with men.