Endovascular Treatment of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms: Is Now EVAR the First Choice of Treatment?

Objective This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of endovascular treatment (EVAR) for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAAs). Methods Between September 2005 and December 2012, 44 patients with rAAA suitable for endovascular repair underwent emergency EVAR. We did not consider hemodynamic instability to be a contraindication for EVAR. Results Successful stent-graft deployment was achieved in 42 patients, whereas 2 required open surgical conversion. The overall 30-day mortality was 10 of 44 patients (5/34 in stable patients, 5/10 in unstable patients). Postoperative complications were observed in 7 of 44 patients (16 %): 5 patients developed abdominal compartment syndrome requiring decompressive laparotomy; 1 patient developed bowel ischemia; 1 patient had limb ischemia, and 1 had hemodynamic shock. Mean length of intensive care unit stay was 2.9 (range 2–8) days, and mean length of hospital stay was 8.6 (range 0–18) days. At a mean follow-up of 22.2 (range 1–84) months, the overall incidence of endoleak was 23.5 %: 1 type I and 7 type II endoleaks. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that EVAR of rAAA is associated with acceptable mortality and morbidity rates in dedicated centers.