Higher Rate of AAA Repair in the U.S. Than in the U.K. Is Associated with Lower AAA-Related Mortality

International guidelines recommend that abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair be considered for AAAs with diameters ≥5.5 cm in men or ≥5.0 cm in women (Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 2011; 41:S1). But clinical practice varies within and across countries. Using national databases in the U.S. and U.K., investigators examined data on AAA outcomes in both countries.

From 2005 through 2012, about twice as many intact AAAs were repaired annually per 100,000 people in the U.S. as in the U.K. During the same period, the rate of hospitalization for AAA rupture was more than twice as high and the rate of AAA-related mortality was more than three times as high in the U.K. as in the U.S. Mean preoperative AAA diameters were significantly higher in the U.K. i…