Postoperative CT Evaluation After EVAR: A Comparison of Image Assessment.

PURPOSE: To compare the postoperative computed tomography angiography (CTA) assessment made by vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) at a tertiary vascular clinic to an outside core review facility. METHODS: One hundred patients (mean age 78.7 years, range 88-55; 84 men) with consecutive, elective, routine CTA controls after EVAR were retrospectively studied. Consultant vascular surgeons or radiologists had evaluated all original scans and written the original report. All scans were then reevaluated by an independent core clinic. Findings were classified as vascular or extravascular and stratified as clinically significant or clinically nonsignificant by an independent external reviewer. RESULTS: The number of vascular findings detected by the vascular clinic was 72 vs 69 by the core clinic. The vascular clinic reported more clinically significant findings (primarily stent compression or kinks) as well as endoleaks and their origin. The core clinic reported more pseudoaneurysms (24 vs 12). None of the patients with puncture complications needed reintervention. Interrater analysis of all findings between the 2 clinics showed good agreement when comparing endoleaks overall (without subclassification) and moderate agreement when assessing aneurysm growth. The core clinic reported extravascular findings in 58 patients; 37 of these were classified as clinically significant. The vascular clinic reported extravascular findings in 23 patients; 7 of these were clinically significant. The core clinic also reported 2 cases of suspected malignancies, which had not been reported by the vascular clinic. CONCLUSION: During routine CTA follow-up after EVAR, a significant number of vascular and nonvascular findings are detected. Whereas a highly dedicated vascular clinic identifies most vascular findings regardless of the specialty of the reader, some extravascular findings are missed. However, the frequency of clinically significant findings or findings that might warrant reintervention was low in this study.

Academic vascular unit collaboration with advertising agency yields higher compliance in screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

To improve compliance with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening in low compliance areas, individually tailored invitations were developed in collaboration with a professional advertising agency. Compliance increased in two intervention municipalities from 71.4% in 2010-2012 to 78.1% in 2013 (p = 0.025), and was then higher [odds ratio 1.7; 95% confidence interval 1.1-2.6; p = 0.013] than in two control municipalities in which compliance was unchanged (417/552 [75.5%] in 2010-12 and 122/180 [67.8%] in 2013). Compliance with AAA-screening can be increased by collaboration with a professional advertising agency, albeit at a comparably high cost.

The importance of socioeconomic factors for compliance and outcome at screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm in 65-year-old men.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate compliance with screening and prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in relation to background data regarding area-based socioeconomic status. METHODS: Our department annually invites 4300 65-year-old men from the city of Malmö and 15 neighboring municipalities to ultrasound AAA screening. In a cross-sectional cohort study, compliance and AAA prevalence among 8269 men were related to background socioeconomic data such as mean income, proportion of immigrants, percentage of subjects on welfare, smoking habits, and unemployment rate in the different municipalities. The 10 different administrative areas in Malmö were evaluated separately. RESULTS: Compliance with screening in the entire area was 6630/8269 (80.2%) but varied between 64.4% and 89.3% in different municipalities (P < .001). In univariate analysis, compliance increased with increasing mean income (r = 0.873; P < .001) but decreased with increasing proportion of immigrants (r = -0.685; P =.005) and subjects on welfare (r = -0.698; P = .004). Compliance in 10 different administrative parts of Malmö (P = .002) also increased with increasing mean income (r = 0.948; P < .001), and decreased with increasing proportion of immigrants (r = -0.650; P = .042) and increasing unemployment rate (r = -0.796; P = .006). Altogether, 117 (1.8%) AAAs were found, the prevalence differing between both different municipalities (P =.003) and the 10 different administrative parts of Malmö (P =.02). The prevalence of AAA in the 10 administrative parts of Malmö increased with increasing percentage of smokers (r = 0.784; P = .007), percentage of immigrants (r = 0.644; P = .044), and unemployment rate (r = 0.783; P =.007) but decreased with increasing mean income (r = -0.754; P = .012). CONCLUSIONS: Compliance with ultrasound screening for AAA differed between different geographical areas. In areas with low socioeconomic status, compliance rates were lower, whereas AAA prevalence was higher. The identification of contextual factors associated with low compliance is important to be able to allow targeted actions to increase efficacy of ultrasound screening for AAA. Targeted actions to increase compliance in those areas are being scientifically investigated and implemented.