Midterm Outcomes of Elective Endovascular Aortic Repair in Octogenarians: When Is It Too Old?

Abstract

Introduction: Endovascular aortic repair outcomes in octogenarians remain unclear. We aim to investigate whether the results for octogenarians differ from those of the younger population in elective endovascular aortic repair. Materials and Methods: From January 2013 to January 2022, 313 patients were treated with elective endovascular aortic repairs. Patient demographics and perioperative and postoperative features were obtained from the hospital database. The primary goals were to explore the early mortality rates of patients aged 80 years and older and compare them with those under 80. The secondary goal was to analyze the comorbid factors. Results: A total of 245 patients were under 80 years old, and 68 patients were 80 years and older. The early mortality rate was 2.94% in the octogenarians and 0.81% in the rest, and there was no significant difference between the two (p = 0.24). However, being 80 years and older led to a significantly lower survival probability at the five-year follow-ups. The American Society of Anesthesiologists’ score was found to help predict late mortality risk and patient selection for elective endovascular aortic repair. Conclusion: As octogenarians are fragile and sensitive to complications, patient selection, careful consideration of life expectancy, and clinical assessment are key to repair. Furthermore, age should not be an independent exclusion criterion in the endovascular aortic repair treatment decision. Keywords: Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal; Endovascular Procedure; Octogenarians.