The influence of age on operative mortality and long-term relative survival following emergency abdominal aortic aneurysm operations

Abstract

To study operative mortality and long-term survival following emergency operations for abdominal aortic aneurysm. Retrospective survey in a university hospital. Two hundred and twenty-seven patients with median age 72 years, (17% women). Founded on data from the Norwegian Registrar's Office, operative mortality and long-term survival was estimated using the life-table method. Expected survival for demographically matched subgroups was calculated from death rate tables issued by the Norwegian Central Bureau of Statistics. Operative mortality was 41% for the 175 patients with ruptured aneurysms and 17% for the 52 with imminent rupture. The 6-year survival rate was 61% for all the successfully operated patients, and not different from that of a demographically matched population. For the patients of 72 years or older the 6-year survival rate was 53%. This was equal to that of an age and sex matched population. The younger patients had an observed 6-year survival rate of 64%, which was significantly lower than the expected of 84%. The standard mortality rate for this group was 2.25. No statistically significant difference in long-term survival was detected between the two age groups. Age at the time of the operation for a symptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm does not seem to influence long-term survival. Consequently, younger patients experience a higher relative mortality compared to the older.