Background: Open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair is associated with a significant morbidity (primarily respiratory and cardiac complications) and an overall mortality rate of 4% to 10%. We tested the hypothesis that perioperative fluid restriction would reduce complications and improve outcome after elective open AAA repair.
Methods: In a prospective randomized control trial, patients undergoing elective open infra-renal AAA repair were randomized to a "standard" or "restricted" perioperative fluid administration group. Primary outcome measure was rate of major complications (MC) after AAA repair and secondary outcome measures included: Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score; FiO2/PO2 ratio; Urinary Albumin/Creatinine Ratio; Length-of-stay in, intensive care unit, high dependency unit, in-hospital. This prospective Randomized Controlled Trial was registered in a publicly accessible database and has the following ID number ISRCTN27753612.
Results: Overall 22 patients were randomized, 1 was excluded on a priori criteria, leaving standard group (11) and restricted group (10) for analysis. No significant difference was noted between groups in respect to age, gender, American Society Anesthesiology class, Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the Enumeration of Mortality and Morbidity scores, operation time, and operation blood loss. There were no in-hospital deaths and no 30-day mortality. The cumulative fluid balance on day 5 postoperative was for standard group, 8242 +/- 714 mL, compared with restricted group, 2570 +/- 977 mL, P < 0.01. MC were significantly reduced in the restricted group (n = 10), 1 MC, compared with standard group (n = 11), 14 MC, P < 0.024. Total and postoperative length-of-stay in-hospital was significantly reduced in the restricted group, 9 +/- 1 and 8 +/- 1 days, compared with standard group, 18 +/- 5 and 16 +/- 5 days, P < 0.01 and P < 0.025, respectively.
Conclusions: Serious complications are common after elective open AAA repair, and we have shown for the first time that a restricted perioperative fluid regimen can prevent MC and significantly reduce overall hospital stay.