A Multidisciplinary Protocolized Approach for Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Management: A Retrospective Before-After Study

Abstract

To investigate whether implementation of a multidisciplinary protocol for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) management reduces rates of adverse complications. A retrospective before-after study. A tertiary-care academic hospital. Adult patients who underwent open or endovascular rAAA repair; data were stratified into before-protocol implementation (group 1: 2015-2018) and after-protocol implementation (group 2: 2019-2022) groups. The protocol details the workflow for vascular surgery, anesthesia, emergency department, and operating room staff for a rAAA case; training was accomplished through yearly workshops. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included all-cause morbidity and other major complications. Differences in postoperative complication rates between groups were assessed using Pearson's χ2 test. Of the 77 patients included undergoing rAAA repair, 41 (53.2%) patients were in group 1, and 36 (46.8%) patients were in group 2. Patients in group 2 had a significantly shorter median time to incision (1.0 v 0.7 hours, p = 0.022) and total procedure time (180.0 v 160.5 minutes, p = 0.039) for both endovascular and open repair. After protocol implementation, patients undergoing endovascular repair exhibited significantly lower rates of mortality (46.2% v 20.0%, p = 0.048), all-cause morbidity (65.4% v 44.0%, p = 0.050), and renal complications (15.4% v 0.0%, p = 0.036); patients undergoing open repair for a rAAA exhibited significantly lower rates of mortality (53.3% v 27.3%, p = 0.018) and bowel ischemia (26.7% v 0.0%, p = 0.035). Implementation of a multidisciplinary protocol for the management of a rAAA may reduce rates of adverse complications and improve the quality of care.