Management of Aortic Pseudoaneurysms: Evolving Concepts and Controversies

Background Techniques to repair aortic pseudoaneurysms have been rapidly evolving. We present our results following open and endovascular repair of aortic pseudoaneurysms from 2009 to 2013. Methods A total of nine patients underwent pseudoaneurysm repair from April 2009 to February 2013. Of them, five underwent open repair and four underwent endovascular repair. The median age was 58 years (range, 40–72 years) and two (22%) were females. Preoperative, operative, and postoperative data are presented along with operative modality. Results Two patients died during the period of study. Patient 1 died from massive hemorrhage at the site of prior stenting. Patient 7 died from postoperative cardiac arrest and respiratory failure. A single patient required hemorrhage-related reexploration. None of the patients experienced stroke or acute renal failure following repair. Median hospital and intensive care unit length of stays were 7.1 (range, 1–20) and 2.0 (range, 1–5), respectively. Conclusions Pseudoaneurysm repair can be effectively achieved through open or percutaneous repair but only after careful consideration of anatomical constraints, as well as patient comorbidities.