Comparison of Longitudinal and Transverse Transperitoneal Incisions in Abdominal Aortic Surgery: A Retrospective Analysis

Abstract

Objective: Patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) may be treated with endovascular intervention or open surgical repair. Despite the possibility of a retroperitoneal approach for open surgery, many surgeons prefer a transperitoneal approach. Transperitoneal aortic exposure may be done by longitudinal or transverse incisions. Transverse incisions are thought to be less painful and have less perioperative complications as compared to longitudinal midline incisions, but the reports to this effect are not conclusive. To address the lack of data comparing perioperative outcomes in aortic surgery incisions, our center conducted a retrospective study. Our aim was to generate concrete evidence regarding the choice of incision and its impact on surgical outcomes, filling a crucial gap in existing knowledge. Materials and Methods: Fifty-two consecutive cases were selected from our institute’s database who underwent elective open AAA repair, with 26 cases each in longitudinal and transverse incision group. Data were analyzed to compare the effects of type of incision for abdominal aortic surgery on the duration of ventilatory requirements and intensive care unit (ICU) stay, postoperative ileus, perioperative analgesia requirement, and the duration of hospital stay in these patient groups. Results: Baseline characteristics and comorbidities of the study population were comparable. Postoperative hospital stays were notably shorter for patients with transverse incisions than those with longitudinal incisions. The transverse incision group also exhibited a statistically significant reduction in postoperative ileus development. However, no significant differences were observed between the two study groups in terms of ventilatory requirements, postoperative analgesia needs, and ICU stays. Conclusion: The ongoing discourse in the literature surrounding the incision choices find support in our study, indicative of advantages of transverse incisions that include lower postoperative ileus and shorter hospital stays. However, no clear benefits were observed regarding postoperative ventilation and analgesic requirements. Study limitations underscore the necessity for future prospective research with larger samples and longer follow-ups, yet the findings suggest that transverse incisions may offer improved perioperative outcomes, potentially easing financial strains on patients and health-care systems through reduced hospitalization durations.

Keywords

• abdominal aortic aneurysm
• longitudinal incision
• transperitoneal approach
• transverse incision