Oikonomou K, Pfister K, Kasprzak PM, Schierling W, Betz T, Sachsamanis G. Treatment of Secondary Aortoenteric Fistulas Following AORTIC Aneurysm Repair in a Tertiary Reference Center.
J Clin Med 2022;
11:jcm11154427. [PMID:
35956044 PMCID:
PMC9369578 DOI:
10.3390/jcm11154427]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: To present our experience with various therapeutic approaches for the treatment of secondary aortoenteric fistulas following open and endovascular aortic aneurysm repair. Methods and Materials: A retrospective data analysis of patients treated for secondary aortoenteric fistulas in a single vascular institution between January 2005 and December 2018 was performed. Analyzed parameters included patients’ demographics, clinical presentation, diagnostic work-up, perioperative data and repair durability during follow-up. Results: Twenty-three patients with aortoenteric fistulas were treated in the target period. The fistulous connection was located in 21 cases (91.3%) in the duodenum and in two cases (8.7%) in the small intestine. Average time between the initial procedure and detection of the aortoenteric fistula was 69.4 ± 72.5 months. The most common presenting symptom was gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 12, 52.2%), followed by symptoms suggestive of chronic infection (n = 11, 47.8%). Open surgical repair was performed in 19 patients (bridging in 3 patients), and endovascular repair was carried out in two cases and one patient underwent a hybrid operation. One patient underwent abscess drainage due to significant comorbidities. Mean follow-up was 35.1 ± 35.5 months. In-hospital mortality and overall mortality were 43.5% (10/23) and 65.2% (15/23), respectively. Patients presenting with bleeding had a significantly higher perioperative mortality rate in comparison to patients presenting with chronic infection (66.7% (8/12) and 18.2% (2/11), respectively, p = 0.019). Patients who underwent stent-graft implantation for control of acute life-threatening bleeding showed significantly better perioperative survival in comparison to patients that were acutely treated with an open procedure (66.6%, (4/6) and 0% (0/6), respectively, p = 0.014). Perioperative mortality was also higher for ASA IV patients (71.4%, 5/7), when compared to ASA III Patients (31.2%, 5/16), although this did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.074). Conclusion: Treatment of secondary aortoenteric fistulas is associated with a high perioperative mortality rate. Patients who survive the perioperative period following open surgical repair in the absence of hemorrhagic shock show acceptable midterm results during follow-up. Stent-graft implantation for bleeding control in patients presenting with life-threatening bleeding seems to be associated with lower perioperative mortality rates.
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