Routine revascularization is unnecessary in the majority of patients requiring zone II coverage during thoracic endovascular aortic repair: A longitudinal outcomes study using United States Medicare population data
Published online on September 03, 2013
Abstract
We aimed to evaluate outcomes of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) with left subclavian artery (LSA) coverage without bypass (TEVAR + SUB) to TEVAR with coverage of the LSA with a bypass at the time of the initial procedure or later at a separate procedure (TEVAR + SUB + BYPASS).
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services inpatient claims for 2006–2007 were queried using Current Procedural Terminology codes for TEVAR, TEVAR + SUB, TEVAR + SUB + BYPASS or later as a separate procedure.
A total of 2676 patients underwent TEVAR; 869 (32.5%) underwent TEVAR + SUB and 49 (5.6%) TEVAR + SUB + BYPASS. At the time of the initial procedure, TEVAR + SUB + BYPASS was associated with a higher incidence of stroke compared to TEVAR + SUB (12.8% vs. 3.8 %; p = 0.0033). Among TEVAR + SUB, only 1.93% (50 patients) had a subsequent bypass performed during a one-year follow-up. Overall rates of morbidity (p = 0.004) and mortality (p = 0.011) trended towards significance in favor of TEVAR + SUB.
TEVAR + SUB were associated with lower rates of mortality and complications. Only a small percentage of TEVAR + SUB required a bypass at one year after procedure. Our data suggest that routine LSA bypass during TEVAR is unnecessary and associated with increase morbidity and mortality.