Guidelines on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic pathology: updates from the Italian Society of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery (SICVE)

Abstract

The aim of these Guidelines was to refresh and enhance the earlier 2015 Italian Guidelines regarding Thoracic and Thoracic - Abdominal Aortic Disease, aligning them with the National Guidelines System (SNLG) to assist all healthcare professionals in adopting the most appropriate treatment approach for this condition. The update utilized the GRADE-SIGN version methodology, adhering to the AGREE checklist for quality reporting. The initial step involved crafting clinical questions in the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) format to base the Recommendations on. Following this, systematic literature reviews were conducted for each PICO question or for related clusters of questions, leading to article selection and evaluation of their methodological quality via qualitative checklists. Subsequently, a Considered Judgment form was completed for each clinical question, assessing the overall evidence to facilitate the conversion from evidence level to recommendation strength and direction. These guidelines outline the best practices for managing thoracic-abdominal aortic disease, with a focus on screening and monitoring. They explore medical treatments and criteria for surgical intervention, including a thorough preoperative analysis of the patient's history and an assessment of surgical risks. Following the determination of surgical necessity, the guidelines compare traditional open surgery with endovascular procedures, paying particular attention to define new recommendations where there were not. Systematic literature reviews were executed for each PICO question. Considered judgments were made through evaluating the evidence level, and the recommendations, direction and strength. The document concludes by outlining protocols for both immediate and prolonged postoperative care. Recent literature has not only validated and refined previous recommendations but also introduced new ones on emerging topics.