Il destino dell'ottuagenario operato di aneurisma dell'aorta addominale: Studio retrospettivo = The ­fate of octo­ge­nar­ian ­patients after abdom­i­nal aor­tic aneu­rysm: a ret­ro­spec­tive ­study

Background and aims. Owing to the increased mean life expectancy of the population, there is a rise in the diagnostic incidence of aneurysmatic pathology in ultra-octogenarian patients. Methods. The authors collected data relating to tile incidence of aneurysmatic pathology in ultra-octogenarian patients over a 10-year period in order to evaluate whether the surgical correction of the lesion significantly altered life expectancy compared to the mean level for the over-80-year-old population (5 years). Out of a total of 1298 patients undergoing endoaneurysmectomy, 26% were >80 years old (71 patients), and of these, 56 patients (22%) were operated electively and 15 (4%) underwent emergency surgery. Results. The data obtained from this study confirm the fact that, at a distance of 54 months after traditional endoaneurysmatic surgery, over 82% of ultra-octogenarian patients had died. Death was associated either with fatal complications relating to pre-existing risk factors or the evolution of pathologies unrelated to aneurysmatic disease. Conclusions. In conclusion, this study argues in favour of rethinking the tendency to operate on ultra-octogenarian patients: surgery should be reserved for more favourable cases based on the clinical condition of patients or for contingent situations that call for emergency treatment.