EVAR: Better off Awake?

Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair: A Narrative Review

Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) has evolved as minimally invasive method of treating infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) with perioperatively mortality of less than 1% compared with 5% with open AAA repair as suggested by many randomized control trials. Computed tomography angiography is the imaging of choice for appropriate selection of a patient with EVAR. For patients with unsuitable anatomy, advanced EVARs techniques, such as fenestrated, branch, and chimney EVARs, are also increasingly being offered to patients with equal success. Patients with ruptured AAA are treated with this minimally invasive procedure. Percutaneous EVAR emerged with less of wound-related complications. Endoleaks are the most common complications peculiar to this procedure, and most are preventable by preoperative planning. They are detected on completion angiogram or on the surveillance imaging. This review discusses indications of EVAR, its selection criteria, procedural steps, and common complications associated with this procedure and advanced EVARs.

"Awake" Spinal Cord Monitoring Under Local Anesthesia and Conscious Sedation in Fenestrated and Branched Endovascular Aortic Repair

INTRODUCTION

Endovascular repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms carries a risk of spinal cord ischemia, the causes of which remain uncertain. We hypothesized that local anesthesia (LA) with conscious sedation could abrogate the potential suppressive cardiovascular effects of general anesthesia (GA) and facilitate intraoperative monitoring of neurological function. Here, we examine the feasibility of this technique during fenestrated (FEVAR) or branched endovascular aortic repair (BEVAR).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Consecutive patients undergoing FEVAR or BEVAR under LA and conscious sedation by a team at a single center were analyzed. Patients received conscious sedation using intravenous remifentanil and propofol infusions in conjunction with a local anesthetic agent. No patient had a prophylactic spinal drain inserted. Outcome measures included conversion to GA, need for vasopressors and/or spinal drainage, length of stay, complications, and patient survival.

RESULTS

A total of 44 patients underwent FEVAR or BEVAR under LA and conscious sedation. The cohort included thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (n=41) and pararenal aneurysms treated with endografts covering the supraceliac segment (n=3). Four patients (9%) required conversion to GA at a median operative duration of 198 minutes (range 97-495 minutes). Vasopressors were required intraoperatively in 3 of the cases that were converted to GA. No patient developed spinal cord ischemia and none had insertion of a spinal drain. The median hospital length of stay was 4 days (range 2-41 days). Postoperative delirium and hospital-acquired pneumonia was seen in 7% of patients. All patients survived to 30 days, with 95% alive at a median follow-up of 15 months (range 3-26 months).

CONCLUSION

LA and conscious sedation is a feasible anesthetic technique for the endovascular repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.