27.11.13
Vascular surgery survival rate reaches 98%
The latest abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) mortality report shows that 98% of patients now survive major artery surgery. Over 18 months, mortality rates fell from 2.4% to 1.8%.
The audit was commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) and carried out by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) and the Vascular Society. It covers over 13,000 operations which took place in NHS hospitals across the UK between January 2010 and December 2012.
The increased use of less invasive endovascular repair surgery has played a significant role in the reduction of death rates, the report found. A national AAA quality improvement programme funded by the Health Foundation has also driven improvements, the Vascular Society said.
President Professor Julian Scott said: “This follow-up report shows a wide uptake in endovascular repair for elective AAA and a significant reduction in mortality for AAA over a relatively short period of time. It reinforces our commitment to continuous quality improvement and patient safety.”
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