ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to compare general anaesthesia (GA) versus regional anaesthesia (RA) for endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).

We analysed the files of 89 patients between August 2010-August 2012 who underwent elective EVAR retrospectively.

We performed RA for 32 patients (36%) and GA for 57 patients (64%). The operation was completed successfully in both groups and did not require conventional surgery. The mean age of the patients was 71.5±7 (range 50-88 years). RA was preferred more than GA in the presence of advanced-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease statistically (p=0.032). The usage of vasodilator drug and atropine was found to be higher in the GA group than the RA group in the intraoperative period (p=0.001 and p=0.01, respectively). The intensive care unit (ICU) was necessary for 5 patients in the RA group (16%) and 13 patients for the GA group (23%) postoperatively (p=0.301). The median ICU stay in the RA group was 2 hours and 4.4 hours in the GA group (p=0.114). The median hospital stay was 2.63±1.91 days in the RA group and 2.04±1.16 days in the GA group, with no statistically significant difference between groups (p=0.120). There was no mortality of patients in either group for the peroperative period and the 30-day follow-up period.

Our present study suggests that patient characteristics are more important than the anaesthetic method on the outcomes of EVAR.

Keywords: Abdominal aortic aneurysm, endovascular aneurysm repair, anaesthesia