A prospective study to assess changes in proximal aortic neck dimensions after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to detect any change in the proximal neck diameter after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Methods: The study was performed in a teaching hospital with an endovascular program on 112 patients who had undergone endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm. The interventions were pre-endovascular and postendovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms with contrast-enhanced, spiral computerized tomography, and the main outcome measures were change in aortic proximal neck diameter, change in maximum aortic diameter, presence of endoleaks, and change in length from lowest renal artery to aortic bifurcation. Results: The median anterior-posterior and transverse diameter decreased from 63.5 mm before surgery to 50.4 and 54.5 mm, respectively, after surgery in a period of 4 years. This trend in reduction in maximum diameter was not seen in the patients with endoleaks. There was no significant change in the proximal neck diameters when measured at 5-mm intervals after endovascular repair. There was also no significant change in the aortic length after endovascular repair. Conclusion: We have not demonstrated any evidence for proximal neck dilatation after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm. (J Vasc Surg 1999;29:625-30.)