Increasing the Elective Endovascular to Open Repair Ratio of Popliteal Artery Aneurysm

Background: Open repair (OR) for popliteal artery aneurysm (PAA) has recently been challenged by endovascular repair (ER) as the primary choice of treatment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate time trends in treatment modality and compare outcomes between OR and ER among electively operated patients after start of screening in 2010 for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a disease highly associated with PAA. Methods: Between January 1, 2009, and April 30, 2017, 102 procedures and 36 acute and 66 elective repairs for PAA were identified. Results: Over time, a trend (P =.089) for an increasing elective to acute repair ratio of PAA and an increase in elective ER to OR ratio (P =.003) was found. Among electively repaired PAAs, the ER group was older (P =.047) and had a higher ankle–brachial index (ABI; P =.044). The ER group had fewer wound infections (P =.003), fewer major bleeding complications (P =.046), and shorter in-hospital stay (P <.001). After 1 year of follow-up, the ER group had a higher rate of major amputations (P =.037). Amputation-free survival at the end of follow-up did not differ between groups (P =.68). Among the 17 patients with PAA eligible for AAA screening, 4 (24%) were diagnosed with PAA through the screening program of AAA. Conclusion: The epidemiology of elective repair of PAA has changed toward increased ER, although ER showed a higher rate of major amputations at 1 year. Confounding was considerable and a randomized trial is needed for evaluation of the best therapeutic option.