Aims: We present 5-year results of an abdominal aortic aneurysm surveillance programme at Christchurch Hospital, based on the UK Small Aneurysm Trial.
Method: Patients with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms between 30 and 55 mm were placed in an ultrasound-based surveillance programme with an intention to treat when their aneurysms reached the Vascular Service determined threshold, when the AAA became symptomatic, or when rapid AAA growth was demonstrated. Patients were divided into three groups: Group 1, those currently under or those who had completed surveillance (n=198); Group 2, those excluded from surveillance and therefore treatment due to unsuitability for open surgical or endoluminal exclusion who had not completed surveillance (n=18); and Group 3, those who declined surgery on completion of surveillance (n=5). We looked at the number of aneurysm-related deaths in these groups and examined any issues that arose during or upon completion of surveillance.
Results: There were five aneurysm-related deaths in Group 1. There was one aneurysm-related death in Group 2, and one in Group 3.
Conclusion: The data highlights problems related to setting threshold diameters for abdominal aortic aneurysms in women, and to the interval between completion of surveillance and undergoing endoluminal or open surgical repair.