THE ANEURYSM INFORMATION PROJECT
#1. The influence of screening on the incidence of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms. TBM Wilmink et al. J Vasc Surg 1999; 30:203-8. Comment by mdt: I hope this paper is widely quoted, because now that endovascular stenting is maturing as a technology, we have a low risk treatment that can be offered. Indeed, stents are particularly suitable for small AAA's discoverable by screening. #2. Mid-term results of a second generation bifurcated endovascular graft for AAA repair: The French Vanguard trial. J Vasc Surg 1999; 30: 209-18. Comment by mdt: In brief, 75 patients were entered into the trial. 100% of implants were successful, and there was no operative mortality. However, over the next two years, one patient died of a ruptured aneurysm; and 26 patients required additional procedures: 17 to treat graft stenosis or occlusion, and 9 to treat endoleaks. Thus, longer term follow-up continues to fit the theme previously discussed here; namely that the procedure can now be done with relatively low risk in many patients, but the results are not nearly so durable as the conventional repair.