The effects of abdominal compartment hypertension after open and endovascular repair of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm

Objective This study assessed if emergency endovascular repair (eEVR) reduces the increase in intra-abdominal compartment pressure and host inflammatory response in patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Methods Thirty patients with ruptured AAA were prospectively recruited. Patients were offered eEVR or emergency conventional open repair (eOR) depending on anatomic suitability. Intra-abdominal pressure was measured postoperatively, at 2 and 6 hours, and then daily for 5 days. Organ dysfunction was assessed preoperatively by calculating the Hardman score. Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and lung injury scores were calculated regularly postoperatively. Hematologic analyses included serum urea and electrolytes, liver function indices, and C-reactive protein. Urine was analyzed for the albumin-creatinine ratio. Results Fourteen patients (12 men; mean age, 72.2 ± 6.2 years) underwent eEVR, and 16 (14 men; mean age, 71.4 ± 7.0 years) had eOR. Intra-abdominal pressure was significantly higher in the eOR cohort compared with the eEVR group. The eEVR patients had significantly less blood loss ( P < .001) and transfused ( P < .001) and total intraoperative intravenous fluid infusion ( P = .001). The eOR group demonstrated a greater risk of organ dysfunction, with a higher systemic inflammatory response syndrome score at day 5 ( P = .005) and higher lung injury scores at days 1 and 3 ( P = .02 and P = .02) compared with eEVR. A significant correlation was observed between intra-abdominal pressure and the volume of blood lost and transfused, amount of fluid given, systemic inflammatory response syndrome score, multiple organ dysfunction score, lung injury score, and the length of stay in the intensive care unit and hospital. Conclusion These results suggest that eEVR of ruptured AAA is less stressful and is associated with less intra-abdominal hypertension and host inflammatory response compared with eOR.