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Importance Because of the similarity in clinical outcomes after elective open and endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), cost may be an important factor in choosing a procedure. Objective To compare total and AAA-related use of health care services, costs, and cost-effectiveness between groups randomized to open or endovascular repair. Design, Setting, and Participants This unblinded randomized clinical trial enrolled 881 patients undergoing planned elective repair of AAA who were candidates for open and endovascular repair procedures. Patients were randomized from October 15, 2002, to April 15, 2008, at 42 Veterans Affairs medical centers. Follow-up was completed on October 15, 2011, and data were analyzed from April 15, 2013, to April 15, 2016, based on intention to treat. Main Outcomes and Measures Mean total and AAA-related health care cost per life-year and per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). Results A total of 881 patients (876 men [99.4%]; 5 women [0.6%]; mean [SD] age, 70 [7.8] years) were included in the analysis. After a mean of 5.2 years of follow-up, mean life-years were 4.89 in the endovascular group and 4.84 in the open repair group ( P = .68), and mean QALYs were 3.72 in the endovascular group and 3.70 in the open repair group ( P = .82). Total mean health care costs did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (endovascular group, $142 745; open repair group, $153 533; difference, −$10 788; 95% CI, −$29 796 to $5825; P = .25). Costs related to AAA, including the initial repair, constituted nearly 40% of total costs and did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (endovascular group, $57 501; open repair group, $57 893; difference, −$393; 95% CI, −$12 071 to $7928; P = .94). Lower costs due to shorter hospitalization for initial endovascular repair were offset by increased costs from AAA-related secondary procedures and imaging studies. The probability of endovascular repair being less costly and more effective was 56.8% when effectiveness was measured in life-years and 55.4% when effectiveness was measured in QALYs for total costs and 31.3% and 34.3%, respectively, for AAA-related costs. Conclusions and Relevance In this multicenter randomized clinical trial with follow-up to 9 years, survival, quality of life, costs, and cost-effectiveness did not differ between elective open and endovascular repair of AAA. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00094575

Objective To determine differences in patients undergoing lower extremity vein graft revisions presenting with and without recurrence of preoperative symptoms. Design Retrospective case-control study of a prospectively maintained database. Setting University and veterans' administration hospitals Patients Two hundred nineteen lower extremity vein graft revisions were performed in 161 patients from January 1995 to January 2007. Patients were categorized as asymptomatic or symptomatic (recurrence of initial symptoms) at the time of revision. Main Outcome Measures Univariate analysis was performed to assess differences in patient demographics, details of initial operation, site of recurrent lesion, and follow-up surveillance data between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Independent predictors of symptomatic recurrence were identified with multivariate logistic regression. Primary assisted patency was compared between revisions performed for symptomatic and asymptomatic lesions. Results Vein graft stenoses were asymptomatic in 125 cases (57%) and symptomatic in 94 cases (43%). Symptomatic recurrences were associated with a significantly greater drop in ankle brachial index than asymptomatic lesions (mean [SD], 0.21 [0.03] vs 0.11 [0.02]; P = .003). Distal graft or outflow lesions were significantly associated with symptom recurrence ( P = .048). Multivariate analysis identified ankle brachial index decrease (odds ratio, 6.803; 95% confidence interval, 1.418-32.258; P = .02) and the use of alternate graft conduit (odds ratio, 2.633, 95% confidence interval, 1.243-5.578; P = .01) as independent predictors of recurrent symptoms. Overall 5-year patency was the same regardless of preoperative symptoms (82% symptomatic and 88% asymptomatic; P = .30). Conclusions Symptomatic recurrences are associated with larger decreases in ankle brachial index, distal lesions, and alternate conduit grafts. Duplex surveillance is necessary to identify asymptomatic vein graft stenoses. Because graft patency is independent of preoperative symptoms, surveillance consisting of clinical follow-up with ankle brachial index evaluation warrants further consideration.

Background: Patency of failed axillofemoral (ax-fem) grafts following thrombectomy is so poor, aortofemoral grafts are recommended as treatment for ax-fem graft thrombosis. In patients who are not candidates for aortic grafting, repeat ax-fem grafting is an alternative to thrombectomy. This report compares our experience treating ax-fem graft thrombosis with replacement or revision vs thrombectomy. Methods: Patients treated with ax-fem grafts from October 1985 to April 2001 were identified, and those who underwent reoperation for thrombosis were reviewed. Limb salvage and patency of revision procedures (thrombectomy vs repeat ax-fem grafting) were determined using Kaplan-Meier curves. Results: Three hundred thirty-five patients underwent ax-fem grafting, and 39 (11.6%) of the 335 required reoperation for graft failure. Twenty-five of these 39 patients had 51 operations for graft thrombosis: 42 graft replacements and/or anastomotic revision(s), and 9 thrombectomies. At 18 months, mean ± SD patency following thrombectomy was 11% ± 10%, while that for graft replacement or anastomotic revision was 54% ± 8% (P