Differential presentation in acuity and outcomes based on socioeconomic status in patients who undergo thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

OBJECTIVES: Socioeconomic differences can lead to differences in how patients present with surgical conditions. We attempted to determine whether socioeconomic status (SES) affects survival outcomes after thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed prospectively collected data from 981 TAAA repairs performed on domestic (noninternational) patients between 2006 and 2016. We excluded patients <18 years old (n = 3), those with no available US home address (n = 114), those not within the race and ethnicity categories assessed (n = 30), and those lost to follow-up (n = 6), leaving 832 repairs for analysis. We derived patient SES by using US Census Bureau data to estimate median household income according to patient home address. Patients were grouped into 3 SES groups: high (n = 283), middle (n = 274), and low (n = 275). Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to identify predictors of operative mortality. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to analyze the association between SES and survival. RESULTS: Operative mortality occurred in 9% (n = 76) of patients. Patients of low SES had greater rates of acute symptoms, dissection, and urgent or emergency TAAA repair. However, lower SES was not an independent predictor of operative death. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards modeling did not show a significant difference in mid-term survival by SES. CONCLUSIONS: In our TAAA series from a single, high-volume practice, SES differences did not appear to influence operative mortality rates. In addition, SES was not associated with a difference in mid-term survival. Efforts to understand and ameliorate the greater acuity of presentation in patients of low SES appear worthwhile.

Spinal cord deficit after 1114 extent II open thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repairs.

OBJECTIVE: Crawford extent II repairs are the most extensive thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm operations and pose the greatest risk of postoperative spinal cord deficit. We sought to examine spinal cord deficit after open extent II thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair to identify predictors of the most serious type: persistent paraplegia or paraparesis. METHODS: We included 1114 extent II thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repairs performed from 1991 to 2017. Intercostal/lumbar artery reattachment (n = 959, 86.1%) and cerebrospinal fluid drainage (n = 698, 62.7%) were used to mitigate the risk of postoperative spinal cord deficit. We used univariate and multivariable analyses to examine spinal cord deficit and identify predictors of persistent paraplegia or paraparesis, defined as paraplegia or paraparesis present at the time of early death or hospital discharge. RESULTS: Spinal cord deficit developed after 151 (13.6%) repairs: 86 (7.7%) cases of persistent paraplegia or paraparesis (51 paraplegia; 35 paraparesis) and 65 (6.1%) cases of transient paraplegia or paraparesis. Patients with spinal cord deficit were older (median 68 vs 65 years, P < .001) and had more rupture (6.6% vs 2.2%, P = .002) and urgent/emergency repair (25.2% vs 16.9%, P = .01) than those without. Persistent paraplegia or paraparesis developed immediately in 47 patients (4.2%) and was delayed in 39 patients (3.5%). Urgent/emergency repair (relative risk ratio, 2.31; P = .002), coronary artery disease (relative risk ratio, 1.80, P = .01), and chronic symptoms (relative risk ratio, 1.76, P = .02) independently predicted persistent paraplegia or paraparesis. Reattaching intercostal/lumbar arteries (relative risk ratio, 0.38, P < .001) and heritable disease (relative risk ratio, 0.36, P = .01) were protective. Early and late survival were poorer in those with persistent paraplegia or paraparesis than in those without. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal cord deficit after extent II thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repairs remains concerning; survival is worse in patients with persistent paraplegia or paraparesis. The complexity of spinal cord deficit and persistent paraplegia or paraparesis warrant further study.

Unplanned Readmissions After Open Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair.

BACKGROUND: Although reducing the incidence of unplanned readmission after thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair represents an important opportunity to improve outcomes, predictors of readmissions are not known. We sought to characterize and identify factors associated with unplanned readmission after discharge in survivors of open TAAA repair. METHODS: Through prospective phone contact and retrospective record review, we determined the frequency and characteristics of unplanned readmissions within 30 days of discharge in 363 patients who were discharged after open TAAA repair. We used univariate and multivariable analyses to identify factors associated with readmission. RESULTS: There were 44 unplanned readmissions in 40 patients (11%). After readmission, 11 patients underwent operations, and 17 underwent nonsurgical procedures, the most common of which was thoracentesis (n = 9). Readmitted patients tended to have lower preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rates (p = 0.045), higher frequencies of preoperative sleep apnea (p = 0.009) and postoperative pulmonary (p = 0.04) and infection (p = 0.02) complications, and longer hospital stays (p = 0.01) than patients without readmissions. Patient age, urgency of operation, and extent of TAAA repair were similar in patients with and without readmissions. Multivariable analysis identified sleep apnea (relative risk ratio [RRR] 3.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.51 to 6.82, p = 0.002), postoperative infection (RRR 4.34, 95% CI: 1.32 to 14.25, p = 0.02), renal failure necessitating dialysis (RRR 3.14, 95% CI: 1.04 to 9.46, p = 0.04), and visceral artery stenting (RRR 2.43, 95% CI: 1.09 to 5.44, p = 0.03) as significant predictors of readmission. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with renal dysfunction, sleep apnea, or postoperative infection were particularly likely to be readmitted; optimizing the management of these factors may reduce early readmission after TAAA repair.