Objective Randomized trials have shown that endovascular repair (EVAR) of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) has a lower perioperative mortality than conventional open repair (OR). However, this ...initial survival advantage disappears after 1 year. To make EVAR cost-effective, patient selection should be improved. The Glasgow Aneurysm Score (GAS) estimates preoperative risk profiles that predict perioperative outcomes after OR. It was recently shown to predict perioperative and long-term mortality after EVAR as well. Here, we applied the GAS to patients from the Dutch Randomized Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (DREAM) trial and compared the applicability of the GAS between open repair and EVAR. Methods A multicenter, randomized trial was conducted to compare OR with EVAR in 345 AAA patients. The GAS was calculated (age + 7 points for myocardial disease + 10 points for cerebrovascular disease + 14 points for renal disease). Optimal cutoff values were determined, and test characteristics for 30-day and 2-year mortality were computed. Results The mean GAS was 74.7 ± 9.3 for OR patients and 75.9 ± 9.7 for EVAR patients. Two EVAR patients and eight OR patients died ≤30 days postoperatively. The area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.79 for OR patients and 0.87 for EVAR patients. The optimal GAS cutoff value was 75.5 for OR and 86.5 for EVAR. By 2 years postoperatively, 18 patients had died in both the EVAR and the OR patient groups. The AUC was 0.74 for OR patients and 0.78 for EVAR patients. The optimal GAS cutoff value was 74.5 for OR and 77.5 for EVAR. Conclusion This is the first evaluation of the GAS in a randomized trial comparing AAA patients treated with OR and EVAR. The GAS can be used for prediction of 30-day and 2-year mortality in both OR and EVAR, but in patients that are suitable for both procedures, it is a better predictor for EVAR than for OR patients. In this study, the GAS was most valuable in identifying low-risk patients but not very useful for the identification of the small number of high-risk patients.
Background The relationship between numerous risk factors and perioperative mortality after cardiovascular surgery has been studied extensively. While improved perioperative survival and fewer ...cardiovascular events have been related to statin therapy, its effect on long-term survival after aneurysm repair remains to be elucidated. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of statin therapy on long-term survival after open and endovascular aneurysm repair and to identify other cardiovascular and patient-related risk factors in this respect. Methods A post-hoc analysis of a randomized trial comparing open and endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair was performed. In this multicenter trial, 351 patients were randomly assigned to undergo either open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair or endovascular repair. Patients who were on lipid-lowering medication at their inclusion in the trial (n = 135) were compared with those who were not (n = 216). Results During 6 years of follow-up, 118 (33.6%) patients died after randomization. Statin therapy, baseline characteristics, Society for Vascular Surgery/International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery risk factors, aneurysm size, reinterventions, antiplatelet or anticoagulant agents, and β-blockers were used to identify prognostic factors influencing survival. After identification of significant factors in a Kaplan-Meier analysis, a multivariable Cox regression analysis was applied. Statin therapy at inclusion in the trial was independently associated with better overall survival after open or endovascular aneurysm repair (hazard ratio HR, 0.5; 95% confidence interval CI, 0.3-0.8; P = .004). Statins were especially associated with fewer cardiovascular deaths (HR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.9; P = .025). Several risk factors were associated with poor survival after open and endovascular aneurysm repair: age >70 (HR, 3.4; 95% CI, 2.2-5.0; P < .001), a history of cardiac disease at baseline (HR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3-2.8; P = .001), and moderate/severe tobacco use (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-2.5; P = .004). Gender, aneurysm size, the need for reintervention, pulmonary disease, renal disease, carotid disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, antiplatelet or anticoagulant agents, and β-blockers were not significantly associated with impaired long-term survival ( P > .05). Conclusions Despite the limitations of a post-hoc analysis of a prospectively maintained trial, we conclude that statin therapy at the beginning of the trial is independently associated with improved long-term survival after open or endovascular aneurysm repair, while age above 70 years, a history of cardiovascular disease, and tobacco use are associated with decreased long-term survival.
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