Functional outcome after open repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm

Background: Outcome after operative repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) has traditionally been assessed in terms of survival. This study examines the functional outcome of patients who survive operation. Method: Consecutive patients who survived open repair over an 18-month period were entered into a prospective case-control study. Age- and sex-matched controls were identified from patients undergoing elective AAA repair. The Short Form-36 health survey was administered to both groups of patients at 6 months after operation. Results were compared with the expected scores for an age- and sex-matched normal UK population. Results: Fifty-seven patients underwent open repair of a ruptured AAA, and 30 survived; no patient was lost to follow-up. There were no significant differences in quality of life between patients who had an emergency repair and those who had an elective repair. Both of these groups had poorer health-related quality of life outcomes than the matched normal population. Surprisingly, compared with the normal population, patients after elective repair had poorer outcomes in more health domains than patients who survived emergency operation. Conclusions: Survivors of ruptured AAA repair have a good functional outcome within 6 months of operation.