Decrease in total aneurysm-related deaths in the era of endovascular aneurysm repair

ObjectiveWith the expansion of elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair after the introduction of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), there is a concern that even with a lower operative mortality there could be an increasing number of aneurysm-related deaths. To evaluate this, we looked at national trends in AAA repair volume as well as mortality rates after intact and ruptured AAA repair encompassing the introduction of EVAR.MethodsPatients with intact or ruptured AAA undergoing open repair or EVAR and all those with a diagnosis of ruptured AAA were identified within the 1993 to 2005 Nationwide Inpatient Sample database using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, diagnosis and procedure codes. The number of repairs, number of rupture diagnoses without repair, number of deaths, and associated mortality rates were measured for each year of the database. Outcomes (mean annual volumes) were compared from the pre-EVAR era (1993 to 1998) with the post-EVAR era (2001 to 2005).ResultsSince its introduction, EVAR increased steadily and accounted for 56% of repairs yet only 27% of the deaths for intact repairs in 2005. The mean annual number of intact repairs increased from 36,122 in the pre-EVAR era to 38,901 in the post-EVAR era, whereas the mean annual number of deaths related to intact AAA repair decreased from 1693 pre-EVAR to 1207 post-EVAR (P < .0001). Mortality for all intact AAA repair decreased from 4.0% to 3.1% (P < .0001) pre-EVAR and post-EVAR, but open repair mortality was unchanged (open repair, 4.7% to 4.5%, P = .31; EVAR, 1.3%). During the same time, the mean annual number of ruptured repairs decreased from 2804 to 1846, and deaths from ruptured AAA repairs decreased from 2804 to 1846 (P < .0001). Mortality for ruptured AAA repair decreased from 44.3% to 39.9% (P < .0001) pre-EVAR and post-EVAR (open repair, 44.3% to 39.9%, P < .001; EVAR, 32.4%). The overall mean annual number of ruptured AAA diagnoses (9979 to 7773, P < .0001) and overall mean annual deaths from a ruptured AAA decreased post-EVAR (5338 to 3901, P < .0001).ConclusionSince the introduction of EVAR, the annual number of deaths from intact and ruptured AAA has significantly decreased. This coincided with an increase in intact AAA repair after the introduction of EVAR and a decrease in ruptured AAA diagnosis and repair volume

Outcomes of adult living donor liver transplantation: Comparison of the adult‐to‐adult living donor liver transplantation cohort study and the national experience

The study objectives were to determine whether the findings of the Adult‐to‐Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study (A2ALL) reflect the U.S. national experience and to define risk factors for patient mortality and graft loss in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). A2ALL previously identified risk factors for mortality after LDLT, which included early center experience, older recipient age, and longer cold ischemia time. LDLT procedures at 9 A2ALL centers ( n = 702) and 67 non‐A2ALL centers ( n = 1664) from January 1998 through December 2007 in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients database were analyzed. Potential predictors of time from transplantation to death or graft failure were tested using Cox regression. No significant difference in overall mortality between A2ALL and non‐A2ALL centers was found. Higher hazard ratios (HRs) were associated with donor age (HR = 1.13 per 10 years, P = 0.0002), recipient age (HR = 1.20 per 10 years, P = 0.0003), serum creatinine levels (HR = 1.52 per loge unit increase, P 4.5 hours (HR = 1.79, P = 0.0006). Except for center experience, risk factor effects between A2ALL and non‐A2ALL centers were not significantly different. Variables associated with graft loss were identified and showed similar trends. In conclusion, mortality and graft loss risk factors were similar in A2ALL and non‐A2ALL centers. These analyses demonstrate that findings from the A2ALL consortium are relevant to other centers in the U.S. performing LDLT, and conclusions and recommendations from A2ALL may help to guide clinical decision making. Liver Transpl 17:789‐797, 2011. © 2011 AASLD.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/86972/1/22288_ftp.pd

Relationship Between Hyperglycemia and Infection in Critically Ill Patients

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90178/1/phco.2005.25.7.963.pd

Complications of right lobe living donor liver transplantation

Background/Aims: Right lobar living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has been controversial because of donor deaths and widely variable reports of recipient and donor morbidity. Our aims were to ensure full disclosure to donors and recipients of the risks and benefits of this procedure in a large University center and to help explain reporting inconsistencies. Methods: The Clavien 5-tier grading system was applied retrospectively in 121 consecutive adult right lobe recipients and their donors. The incidence was determined of potentially (Grade III), actually (Grade IV), or ultimately fatal (Grade V) complications during the first post-transplant year. When patients had more than one complication, only the seminal one was counted, or the most serious one if complications occurred contemporaneously. Results: One year recipient/graft survival was 91%/84%. Within the year, 80 (66%) of the 121 recipients had Grade III (n = 54) Grade IV (n = 16), or Grade V (n = 10) complications. The complications involved the graft's biliary tract (42% incidence), graft vasculature (15%), or non-graft locations (9%). Complications during the first year did not decline with increased team experience, and adversely affected survival out to 5 years. All 121 donors survive. However, 13 donors (10.7%) had Grade III (n = 9) or IV (n = 4) complications of which five were graft-related. Conclusions: Despite the satisfactory recipient and graft survival at our and selected other institutions, and although we have not had a donor mortality to date, the role of right lobar LDLT is not clear because of the recipient morbidity and risk to the donors. © 2009 European Association for the Study of the Liver