Infrarenal Iterative Aortic Surgery: Early and Late Morbi-Mortality Observed in 61 Patients

The aim of this study was to analyze the early and late results of iterative aortic surgery after bypass of infrarenal aorta. Results from Clermont-Ferrand and Saint-Etienne hospitals have been collected. Between January 1993 and December 2001, 61 patients ( 59 men and two women, mean age 65 years) underwent a partial or complete second aortic reconstruction through a direct approach. Three different indications that required redo surgery were detected. Twenty-three patients presented with an infection (37%), 17 with an occlusive pathology (28%), and 21 with an aneurysm (34%). Medical or endoluminal treatment could no longer be considered. Mean period of time for redo surgery was 101 months ( range 1-294). Eighteen of the procedures were emergency surgeries. A polyester prosthesis was used in 45 cases, an arterial allograft in 15 cases, and autogenous venous material in one case. In 22 cases (36%) a visceral, renal, or infracrural revascularization was associated. Four patients died (6.5%): three with an infection and one with an occlusive pathology. Global morbidity rate was 64%. Twelve vascular surgical complications (19%) required redo surgery: seven limb ischemia, three hemorrhage, and two colic ischemia. The preoperative factors generating severe complications were a septic context, renal insufficiency, and American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 3 or 4. Follow-up concerned the 57 surviving patients with a 43-month mean period of time ( range 4-105). Actuarial survival rate was 80.7% at 3 years and could be compared to that observed after infrarenal aortic first surgery. Primary and secondary global patency rates were, respectively, 66.4 +/- 6.7% and 94.6 +/- 3% at 3 years with no major amputation. In our series including 37% of septic patients and nearly 30% of patients operated on in emergency, aortic iterative surgery led to mortality and morbidity rates twice and four times as important as those resulting from infrarenal aortic initial surgery, respectively. In the long term, patient survival and limb salvage rates were quite similar to those obtained with de novo surgery.