Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms. Special considerations.

The keys to a better outcome in the management of ruptured aneurysm are early diagnosis, aggressive resuscitation, and early operation, with prompt achievement of proximal control. Having achieved these goals, there is a tendency to let down one's guard and relax; indeed, the principles of aneurysm repair beyond this point are similar to those of elective surgery. However, it should be remembered that nearly every complication is more likely in emergency than in elective operations. Therefore, even more care needs to be taken with the technical details at this point to avoid the complications discussed in the following article. The perioperative management must continue at the same heightened level to combat acidosis, hypothermia, coagulation disorders, cardiac dysfunction, fluid overload with pulmonary edema, renal failure, and other common sequelae of this challenging undertaking.