Aneurysms of the abdominal aorta: whether or not, when, and whom?

Recently, those who profess conservative views concerning management of aneurysms of the abdominal aorta argued against operative treatment, saying that the mere presence of an aneurysm is an indication that a patient often suffers from an advanced, terminal stage of diffuse arteriosclerosis and that operation in this patient is futile because it does not prolong life. The experience reported here represents a contrary view. Four hundred and eighty consecutive patients were followed from three to ten years postoperatively. Although the survival rate of these patients was lower than that of the general population of comparable age, it remained significantly higher than that of patients with known aneurysms who did not have the benefit of surgical treatment.