The Age Effect in Increasing Operative Mortality following Delay in Elective Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Because of increasing age, delay in surgery is associated with uniform increase in the risk of perioperative mortality in asymptomatic patients who meet criteria for AAA repair. It is important for surgeons to incorporate this more accurate estimation of operative risk into discussions with patients who qualify for treatment yet decide to forgo surgery for the repair of their AAA.