Thomas and Leitman identified risk factors for complications after endovascular aortoiliac surgery. These can help to identify a patient who may benefit from more aggressive management. The authors are from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
Patient selection: endovascular repair of an aortoiliac lesion
Outcome: 30-day postoperative serious morbidity or mortality, including need for transfusion, second surgery, amputation, arterial bypass graft, myocardial infarction, stroke.
Risk factors for significant adverse outcome:
(1) pre-existing open wound
(2) current smoker in the past year
(3) preoperative steroid therapy
(4) diabetes mellitus requiring medications
(5) female sex
(6) high platelet count
(7) high white blood cell count
(8) low preoperative serum albumin
(9) preoperative statin therapy (implying hypercholesterolemia)
Limitations:
• Laboratory values were referred to as low or high rather than a specific cutoff.
