Chronic Visceral Ischemia: Symptom-Free Survival After Open Surgical Repair

A retrospective review of patients treated with a history of chronic visceral ischemia (CVI) was made to determine primary patency of open surgical repair and estimated symptom-free survival. Patients with CVI between 1990 and 2003 were reviewed. Included were those with chronic symptoms alone (C-CVI) and acute-on-chronic symptoms (A-CVI). Data were obtained from a vascular database. Symptom-free survival and graft patency were estimated by using product limit estimates. Fifty-eight patients (13 men, 45 women; mean age: 63 years) were treated surgically for C-CVI (34 patients) and A-CVI (24 patients). All patients had postprandial abdominal pain and weight loss (mean: 17 kg). One fourth reported food fear. Preoperative imaging demonstrated disease of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) (100%; 64% occluded), celiac axis (89%; 37% occluded), and inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) (54%; 60% occluded). Multiple vessels were involved in 95% of patients (mean: 2.3 vessels/patient). Operative management included antegrade revascularization of 80 vessels. Combined aortic and/or renal procedures were performed in 7 patients. Patient demographics and visceral disease did not differ for C-CVI and A-CVI; however, perioperative mortality differed significantly (10% for C-CVI vs 54% for A-CVI [p