This study states that Although the transabdominal approach (TAA) and lateral approach (LA) to open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (OAR) are both acceptable and widely used, a paucity of data evaluating subsequent postoperative laparotomy-associated complications (LCs) is available. The aim of the present study was to establish the incidence of LCs after OAR and determine which approach was associated with an increase in long-term LCs. An institutional database for OAR (2010-2019) was queried, excluding urgent and emergent cases. The primary endpoint was long-term LCs, defined as any complication related to entry into the abdomen. The LA included retroperitoneal and thoracoabdominal approaches and the TAA included all patients with midline incisions. A Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate the freedom from LCs, and the Fine-Gray method was used to determine the predictors of LCs, with death as a competing risk. Use of the TAA was an independent predictor of long-term LCs after OAR, along with an increasing body mass index and a history of SBO. In patients with amenable anatomy, the LA is favorable for preventing long-term LCs, especially in high-risk patients.
Reference link- https://www.jvascsurg.org/article/S0741-5214(20)32198-4/fulltext
