TY  - JOUR
T1  - USe of sequential b-mode ultrasonography to manage abdominal aortic aneurysms
AU  - JOHNSON RC
Y1  - 1989/12/01
N1  - 10.1001/archsurg.1989.01410120114023
JO  - Archives of Surgery
SP  - 1464
EP  - 1464
VL  - 124
IS  - 12
N2  - To the Editor.—I read with great interest the article by Littooy et al,1 which appeared in the April 1989 issue of the Archives, on the use of sequential B-mode ultrasonography to manage abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). A majority of vascular surgeons would agree that selective management of AAAs in high-risk patients is appropriate. B-mode ultrasonography has certainly proved to be a very accurate way of initial assessment and sequential follow-up of infrarenal AAAs. Their conclusions, however, I feel are incomplete. A combination mortality rate of ruptured AAAs during follow-up and perioperative mortality for those operated on is interpreted as 7.4%. This includes 11 patients of the total group of 149 patients. I would like to point out that 86 of these patients have not received definitive treatment. If we project their results for those 86 patients, then their combined mortality rate is 17.5%. This is not an acceptable
SN  - 0004-0010
M3  - doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1989.01410120114023
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.1989.01410120114023
ER  -