Abstract
Between January and December 2006, 3 patients with aortic abdominal aneurysm (AAA) receiving home oxygen therapy (HOT) and 20 patients without HOT were studied. The 3 patients with HOT were all men, the mean age was 72 years (range, 69-74), and they had been treated with HOT for 37.3 months (1-102) due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with a mean %VC of 96.9% and FEV1.0% of 42.8%. Only the FEV1.0% value in the preoperative data was significantly lower than in patients without HOT. In the 3 patients with HOT, extubation was performed immediately after operation, and minitracheotomy tubes (Mini-trach®) to control sputum were inserted in the operation room. The minitracheotomy tubes were removed 5 or 6 days after operation. Postoperatively, no one with HOT had any major complications, while in those without HOT one patient had ileus and another had prolonged intubation. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in operative time, blood loss, blood transfusion, or hospital stay. In conclusion, based on detached preoperative close estimation and careful postoperative supervision, patients receiving HOT can undergo AAA operations as safely as those not receiving HOT.
