Association of Baseline Chronic Kidney Disease Stage With Short- and Long-Term Outcomes After Fenestrated Endovascular Aneurysm Repair

Abstract

Fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) is a well-established treatment approach for juxtarenal and short-neck infrarenal aortic aneurysms. Recommendations and clinical outcomes are lacking for offering FEVAR in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We aimed to compare short- and long-term outcomes for patients with none-to-mild versus moderate-to-severe CKD undergoing FEVAR. We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients undergoing standard FEVAR with Cook devices at a single institution. The cohort was stratified by preoperative CKD stage none-to-mild or moderate-to-severe (CKD 1-2 and CKD 3-5, respectively). The primary outcome was postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI). Secondary outcomes included 30-day perioperative complications, 1- and 5-year rates of overall survival, dialysis, renal target artery patency, endoleak, and reintervention assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Aneurysm sac regression, number of surveillance computed tomography (CT) scans, and CKD stage progression were assessed at latest follow-up. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to evaluate the association of CKD stage 3 and stage 4-5 with all-cause mortality, controlling for differences in baseline characteristics. From 2012- to 2022, 184 patients (of which 82% were male) underwent FEVAR with the Cook ZFEN device (mean follow-up 34.3months). Group CKD 3-5 comprised 77 patients (42%), was older (75.2 vs. 73.0years, P=0.04), had increased preoperative creatinine (1.6 vs. 0.9mg/dL, P<0.01), and demonstrated increased renal artery ostial calcification (37.7% vs. 21.5%, P=0.02) compared with Group CKD 1-2. Perioperatively, CKD 3-5 sustained higher estimated blood loss (342 vs. 228ml, P=0.01), longer operative times (186 vs. 162min, P=0.04), and longer length of stay (3 vs. 2days, P<0.01). Kaplan-Meier 1- and 5-year survival estimates were lower for CKD 3-5 (82.3% vs. 95.1%, P<0.01 and 55.4% vs. 70.8%, P=0.02). Fewer CKD 3-5 patients remained free from chronic dialysis at 1year (94.4% vs. 100%, P=0.015) and 5years (84.7% vs. 100%, P<0.01). There were no significant differences in postoperative AKI rate (CKD 1-2 6.5% vs. CKD 3-5 14.3%, P=0.13), long-term renal artery patency, reinterventions, type I or III endoleak, mean sac regression, or total follow-up CT scansbetween groups. CKD stage progression occurred in 47 patients (31%) at latest follow-up but did not differ between stratified groups (P=0.17). On multivariable modeling, age (hazardratio 1.05, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.09, P=0.02) and CKD stage 4-5 (hazard ratio 6.39, 95% confidence interval 2.26-18.05, P<0.01) were independently associated with mortality. Preoperative CKD status did not negatively impact the durability or technical success related to aneurysm outcomes after FEVAR. Worsening CKD stage was associated with lower 1- and 5-year overall survival and freedom from dialysis after FEVAR with no statistically significant differences in 30-day or long-term technical aneurysm outcomes.