Journal of vascular surgery
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Recent reports in the literature have promulgated nonresective treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm as a safer procedure than conventional aneurysmectomy with graft replacement in high-risk patients. This review of 106 high-risk patients who underwent conventional aneurysm repair between 1980 and 1985 was undertaken to compare the relative risks, perioperative morbidity, and operative mortality of these patients to that reported for patients treated by nonresective therapy. ⋯ The mortality rate for conventional aneurysm repair in high-risk patients was 5.7%, compared with a reported 7% mortality rate for nonresective therapy. In those patients with severe cardiac dysfunction, intraoperative pharmacologic manipulation and the selective use of intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation appeared helpful in achieving survival.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)