Recovery following treatment of descending thoracic aortic disease. A comparison between endovascular repair and open surgery

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the postoperative course in patients treated by endovascular repair (endo) with patients treated by open surgery (open) for descending thoracic aortic disease.

Methods: Twenty-five patients treated with stent grafting for aneurysmal disease or type B dissection were compared with 35 historical controls treated by open surgery. Stay in the intensive care unit, need for artificial ventilation and to where the patient had been discharged, were noted. Pain medication, use of nasogastric tube, time until total oral nutrition, mobilization and the patients' mental condition in the postoperative period, were studied in the patients charts and the nursing reports.

Results: Time on the intensive care unit or intermediate care unit was median 45 h in the endo group compared with 192 h in the open group. Eighty percent of the patients in the endo group were discharged directly to their homes in contrast to 23% after open surgery. In the endo group 67% of the patients started oral nutrition on the 1st postoperative day compared to 10% in the open group. There was a significantly faster mobilization in the endo group.

Conclusions: There was a significantly shorter recovery after stent grafting for descending thoracic aortic disease compared to patients operated with open surgical technique.