Elective Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) for the Treatment of Infrarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms of 5.0–5.5 cm: Differences between Men and Women

Background: There is significant debate regarding the existence of sex-related differences in the presentation, treatment, and outcomes of men versus women affected by abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). The purpose of this study is to compare endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of infrarenal AAAs with the current sex-neutral 5.0–5.5 cm-diameter threshold for intervention between the two sexes. Methods: Retrospective review of consecutive cases from a single teaching institution over a period of five years of patients who had undergone elective EVAR for AAAs between 5.0 and 5.5 cm in diameter. Outcomes of interest were compared according to sex. Results: Ninety-four patients were included in the analysis, with a higher prevalence of men (53%). Females were older at the time of repair, 78 ± 5.1 years, versus 71.7 ± 7 years (p < 0.01), and had higher incidence of underlying comorbidities, namely, arrhythmia, chronic kidney disease, and previous carotid revascularization. Women had higher incidence of immediate systemic complications (p = 0.021), post-operative AMI (p = 0.001), arrhythmia (p = 0.006), pulmonary oedema (p < 0.001), and persistent renal dysfunction (p = 0.029). Multivariate analysis for post-operative factors associated to mortality and adjusted for sex confirmed that AMI (p = 0.015), arrhythmia (p = 0.049), pulmonary oedema (p = 0.015), persistent renal dysfunction (p < 0.001), cerebral ischemia (p < 0.001), arterial embolism of lower limbs (p < 0.001), and deep-vein thrombosis of lower limbs (p < 0.001) were associate to higher EVAR-related mortality; a higher incidence of post-operative AMI (p = 0.014), pulmonary edema (p = 0.034), and arterial embolism of lower limbs (p = 0.046) were associated to higher 30-days mortality. In females there was also a higher rate of suprarenal fixation (p = 0.026), insertion outside the instruction for use (p = 0.035), and a more hostile neck anatomy with different proximal aortic diameter (p < 0.001) and angle (p = 0.003). Conclusions: A similar threshold of size of AAA for elective surgery for both males and females might not be appropriate for surgical intervention, as females tend to have worse outcomes. Further population-based studies are needed to guide on sex-related differences and intervention on AAA.