Long-Term Outcomes of Surgical Treatment by In Situ Graft Reconstruction for Infected Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Revascularization and Digestive Tract Repair in Secondary Aortoenteric Fistula Using a Single-Center in Situ Revascularization Strategy

BACKGROUND

Information regarding optimal revascularization and digestive tract repair in secondary aortoenteric fistula (sAEF) remains unclear. Thus, reporting treatment outcomes and presenting comprehensive patient details through a structured treatment approach are necessary to establish a treatment strategy for this rare, complex, and fatal condition.

METHODS

We performed a single-center retrospective review of consecutive sAEF managed based on our in situ revascularization and intestinal repair strategy. The primary endpoint of this study was all-cause mortality, and secondary endpoints were the incidence of in-hospital complications and midterm reinfections.

RESULTS

Between 2007 and 2020, 16 patients with sAEF, including 13 men (81%), underwent in situ revascularization and digestive tract repair. The median follow-up duration for all participants was 36 (interquartile range, 6-62) months. Among the participants, 81% (n = 13), 13% (n = 2), and 6% (n = 1) underwent aortic reconstruction with rifampin-soaked grafts, unsoaked Dacron grafts, and femoral veins, respectively. The duodenum was the most commonly involved site in enteric pathology (88%; n = 14), and 57% (n = 8) of duodenal breaks were repaired by a simple closure. Duodenum's second part-jejunum anastomosis was performed in 43% of patients (n = 6), and 19% of the patients (n = 3) died perioperatively. In-hospital complications occurred in 88% patients (n = 14), and the most frequent complication was gastrointestinal. Finally, 81% patients (n = 13) were discharged home. Oral antibiotics were administered for a median duration of 5.7 months postoperatively; subsequently, the participants were followed up carefully. Reinfection was detected in 6% of the patients (n = 1) who underwent reoperation without any complications. The 1-year and 3-year overall survival rates of participants were 75% (n = 12) and 75% (n = 9), respectively, and no sAEF-related deaths occurred, except perioperative death.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical intervention with contemporary management based on our vascular strategy and digestive tract procedure may be a durable treatment for sAEF.

Contemporary Outcomes of Endovascular and Open Surgical Repair for Mycotic Aortic Aneurysms: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

To perform a systematic review on contemporary outcomes of endovascular repair and open surgical repair (OSR) for the treatment of mycotic aortic aneurysm (MAA).

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search on the management of MAAs with endovascular repair or OSR was performed between January 1998 and January 2023. Patient demographics, early and late outcomes were analyzed with respect to treatment modality and MAA location.

RESULTS

Forty-eight articles were included, encompassing a total of 1,358 patients (75.8% male; mean age 66.9 years; 1,372 aneurysms) treated by open (49.8%) or endovascular (50.2%) repair. Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus spp. were the most prevalent pathogens in Asian and European countries respectively. An increasing number of descending thoracic MAAs were managed by endovascular repair (27.9% vs. 12.8%). Early mortality rates for supra- and infra-renal MAAs managed by endovascular repair were lower than OSR (suprarenal 5.4% vs. 43.2%; infrarenal 1.8% vs. 16.7%). Overall, endovascular repair demonstrated lower intraoperative (1.0% vs. 1.8%) and early mortality (6.5% vs. 15.9) rates than OSR. However, endovascular repair was associated with higher late sepsis rate (5.7% vs. 0.9%) and reintervention rate (17.6% vs. 7.3%). Pooled survival rates at 1- and 5-year were similar between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Current literature suggest that endovascular repair is an effective and safe alternative to OSR for descending thoracic, suprarenal, and infrarenal MAAs. However, endovascular repair is associated with higher risk of infection-related complications and reintervention during follow-up.

The role of the pedicle omental flap in ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm: a case report and literature review

A ruptured infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) is associated with an in-hospital mortality rate of 40% and an overall mortality rate of 60–80%. Open surgical repair for rAAA remains the principal method of treatment when endovascular repair is not available. Graft infection occurs in 1–4% of patients at 5 years, with a high incidence following emergency treatment. Other graft-related complications include pseudoaneurysm, graft occlusion and aorto-enteric fistula. This case report describes a 66-year-old male patient that was admitted to hospital complaining of intense abdominal pain, low blood pressure and tachycardia. He was diagnosed with a rAAA and treated using segmental resection of the abdominal aorta followed by reconstruction with a synthetic Dacron prosthesis. A pedicle omental flap was wrapped around the prosthetic graft and it was also used to fill the retroperitoneal cavity in order to reduce the risk of graft-related complications. Computed tomography angiography after 6 months showed good integration of the aortic prosthetic graft and the viability of the omental flap. In our opinion, vascular surgeons should consider the pedicle omental flap when they perform open surgical repair for rAAA in order to reduce the incidence of graft-related complications.