Surgical and endovascular treatment of visceral arteries aneurysms : single-institution experience

OBJECTIVE: Through a retrospective single-Institution study we report our experience on the treatment of the visceral arteries aneurysms, surgical or endovascular. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between February 1993 and February 2003, 17 patients were admitted to our Institution for treatment of an aneurysm of a visceral artery.In the pre-endovascular period for our Institution (1993-1998), 9 patients have been treated surgically. In the second period (1998-2003), 4 patients were treated surgically; and 4 with an endovascular procedure. RESULTS: Only 1 patient died in the operating room because of the advanced hypovolemic shock (rupture pancreatoduodenal artery aneurysm) that was admitted to the Institution. She was one of the surgically treated patients of the second period. No other complications occurred in the other patients. The endovascular procedures had favorable outcome. CONCLUSION: Actually, the treatment of choice in our Department is interventistic, preferring endovascular treatment when the clinical and anatomo-morphological conditions are favorable. When the morphologic conditions are not favorable, the surgical reconstruction should respect as much as possible the anatomic location of the lesion.