Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are those of >3 cm aortic diameter. They run the risk of rupture and ensuing death by bleeding. In consequence, they are treated to repair the aneurysm before it ruptures. In this regard, the most relevant predictor of rupture is aneurysm diameter. That is, the greater the aneurysm, the greater the<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2021/11/17/management-of-abdominal-aortic-aneurysms-in-2021/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Some European societies have recommended deferring the treatment of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) ≥5.5 cm during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these documents have also suggested optimal deferral times, and everything must be adjusted according to the transmission risk/risk of rupture balance. Annual risk of rupture can be estimated based on a prospective cohort published by<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2021/07/08/abdominal-aortic-aneurysm-during-the-pandemic-should-they-be-operated-or-deferred/" title="Read more" >...</a>
A new diagnostic tool might change the classical abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) cutoff thresholds of 5.5 and 5 cm for men and women, respectively. The new ultrasound speckle tracking technology can study AAA wall motion in real time and has the potential to become the new standard for diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. This study looked<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2020/11/10/can-we-lower-the-cutoff-threshold-in-abdominal-aortic-aneurysms/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Currently, there are no drugs to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) outside those indicated as secondary prevention drugs. What this study shows is that diabetic patients treated with metformin had lower AAA incidence than diabetic patients treated without metformin, and even lower incidence than non- diabetic patients, as if metformin per se were a<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/04/16/metformin-to-treat-abdominal-aortic-aneurysms/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) rupture rate in the UK justifies the current surveillance programs and bring ease to some physicians that at some point have cast a shadow on their efficacy. This study also endorses reference thresholds to intervene patients. In 2009, the UK National Health Service (NHS) implemented a AAA national surveillance scheme where<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/02/05/safety-in-abdominal-aortic-aneurysm-surveillance-programs/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Patients with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and ≥ 30 mm neck diameter have 3 times higher risk of type 1A endoleak and 5 times higher risk of rupture at follow up after standard endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), as well as lower survival rate. This could tilt the scales against EVAR, or at best call<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2018/12/14/several-features-define-a-hostile-neck-in-aaa-patients-but-only-one-makes-the-difference/" title="Read more" >...</a>
With the remarkable drop in tobacco use across the world, also dropped mortality associated to abdominal aorta aneurysm rupture (AAA). All AAA screening programs have been designed decades ago, when the risk was higher. This is why we might need to rethink these programs, or at least design new randomized controlled studies to pave the<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2018/06/22/are-abdominal-aortic-aneurysm-screening-programs-overstated/" title="Read more" >...</a>
It has been suggested that surveillance after endovascular abdominal aorta aneurysm repair (EVAR) should be for life, seeing as on one hand we are not sure how long these devices last (and they keep coming out), and on the other hand, there could be late complications, such as type 2 leaks. This is why the<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/04/04/surveillance-after-evar-when-and-how-long/" title="Read more" >...</a>
This four-year retrospective analyzis has shown that contrast enhanced ultrasound based follow up protocol post endovascular aortic repair is safe and effective. Aneurysm related mortality, reintervention rate, sac retraction and endoleak detection resulted similar to that of CT based follow up protocols. In this study, doppler and enhanced contrast ultrasound were the main follow up<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2018/05/22/post-evar-contrast-enhanced-ultrasound-based-follow-up-reduces-ct-by-90-is-it-safe-though/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Compared to surgery, endovascular repair of ruptured abdominal aorta aneurysms has better clinical results, survival and quality of life for patients (in addition to being cost-effective), according to mid-term outcomes of the IMPROVE study, recently published in the British Medical Journal. Even though the initial outcomes had not shown differences between both strategies in terms of<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2017/12/27/endovascular-strategy-seems-superior-against-surgery-in-ruptured-aneurysms/" title="Read more" >...</a>