Surgical Treatment for Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Abstract

While the elective surgical treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) has now become a relatively safe operation, the mortality associated with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA) remains high. In this study, we describe our treatment for RAAA and clinical results. Thirty-eight patients with RAAA were admitted to our hospital between July 1998 and December 2005. Twenty-five cases were in a preoperative shock state. The hospital mortality rate following the RAAA operation was 26.3%. In this series, the factors associated with a poor prognosis were preoperative shock state, disturbance of consciousness, and intra-operative blood transfusion. Causes of surgical deaths were bleeding (n=5), multiple organ failure (n=2), myocardial infarction (n=2), and respiratory failure (n=1). An expeditious diagnosis and treatment are important for improving the outcomes of RAAA patients.