Endovascular Strategy for the Elective Treatment of Concomitant Aortoiliac Aneurysm and Symptomatic Large Bowel Diverticular Disease

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the strategy for treatment of patients presenting with asymptomatic diverticular disease of the large bowel associated with an asymptomatic aortoiliac aneurysmal (AAA) disease.MethodsSixty-nine patients were included in this retrospective study. The patients were divided into 5 groups according to the type and sequence of the surgical treatment: 32 patients (47%) underwent colectomy followed by a staged open AAA repair (group A); 10 patients (14%) were treated with open AAA repair followed by a staged colectomy (group B); 13 patients (18%) received endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) followed by a staged bowel resection (group C); 8 patients (12%) had a bowel resection followed by staged EVAR (group D); and 6 patients (9%) underwent simultaneous open AAA repair and bowel resection (group E). Primary end points were mortality and complications after any of the procedures. Secondary end point was the time interval between the staged procedures.ResultsThe cumulative death rate for delayed treatment of AAA was 6.5% and 0% for delayed treatment of diverticular disease [P = 0.22]. The mean time interval between the staged procedures was 11 days for EVAR/colon resection (group C and group D) and 73 days for open AAA repair/colon resection (group A and group B; P < 0.01).ConclusionsEVAR allows a significant reduction in the time required between AAA repair and colon resection, but no definite rule can be established regarding the sequence of staged procedures. Combined procedures should be reserved for selected cases.