Abdominal aortic aneurysm is the most prevalent form of aneurysm and affects approximately 5% of the worldwide population. Now, a new study has found that female patients face a higher risk for kidney damage after endovascular repair when receiving treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Researchers from Michigan Medicine (Ann Arbor, MI, USA) have developed an algorithm for use prior to endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair to measure the risk for kidney damage. The researchers tested the algorithm using data from more than 7,000 patients through the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium database. The risk prediction algorithm showed that women undergoing endovascular aneurysm repair had a 1.4 times greater chance of developing acute kidney injury after aneurysm repair.

Patients with reduced glomerular filtration rate, an indicator of kidney disease, had a 4.7 times greater possibility of developing acute kidney injury after aneurysm repair. Patients with larger aneurysms also faced a higher risk. According to the researchers, these findings are less surprising than the higher odds of kidney injury in women, as patients’ decreased renal function at baseline and the possible prolonged procedures and intra-operative contrast loads that accompany larger aneurysms. The researchers now hope to implement the algorithm in clinical practice in order to provide at-risk patients with optimization before an operation.

“Kidney injury after surgery can be benign, but for some patients it leads to permanent renal failure and, in some instances, dialysis,” said Drew Braet, M.D., first author and vascular surgery resident at U-M Health. “This algorithm shows that we can use easily attainable factors prior to surgery that may help identify patients at risk of complications during their surgery and, thus, ensure we are optimizing these patients accordingly. If we can protect patients and decrease their risk of permanent renal failure, then we have truly provided them a benefit.” 

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