Low post-operative mortality after surgery on patients with screening-detected abdominal aortic aneurysms: a Swedvasc registry study.

OBJECTIVES: Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) substantially reduces aneurysm-related mortality in men and is increasing worldwide. This cohort study compares post-operative mortality and complications in men with screening-detected vs. non-screening-detected AAAs.

METHODS: Data were extracted from the Swedish National Registry for Vascular Surgery (Swedvasc) for all screening-detected men treated for AAA (n = 350) and age-matched controls treated for non-screening-detected AAA (n = 350).

RESULTS: There were no differences in baseline characteristics besides age, which was lower in the screening-detected group than in the non-screening-detected group (median 66 vs. 68, p < .001). Open repair was used more frequently than endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) in patients with screening-detected AAAs than in non-screening-detected controls (56% vs. 45% p = .005). No differences in major post-operative complications at 30 days were observed between the groups. In patients treated with open repair there were no differences in 30-day, 90-day or 1-year mortality in screening-detected patients compared to non-screening-detected controls (1.0% vs. 3.2% p = .25, 2.1% vs. 4.5% p = .23, 4.1% vs. 5.8% p = .61). None of the patients treated with EVAR in either group died within 30 days. The 90-day mortality after EVAR was lower in patients with screening-detected AAA than in those with non-screening-detected AAAs (0.0% vs. 3.1%, p = .04). No difference in the 1-year mortality was detected in the EVAR-patients between the two groups (1.4% vs. 4.7%, p = .12).

CONCLUSIONS: The contemporary post-operative mortality after AAA surgery was low in this national audit of patients with screening-detected AAAs and age-matched controls. Patients with screening-detected AAAs have the same frequency of complications at 30 days as patients with non-screening-detected AAA. This study gives further support to national screening programs for the detection of AAA in men.