Impact of the type of anesthesia on outcome after elective endovascular aortic aneurysm repair: Literature review

The type of anesthesia used during aneurysm repair affects postoperative outcomes for the patient. Although endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) appears to improve surgical outcomes, by convention, general anesthesia remains predominantly used. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of the type of anesthesia (ie, locoregional versus general anesthesia) on the outcomes following EVAR. A literature search was carried out using the PubMed search engine to find relevant published articles that compared locoregional and general anesthesia in patients undergoing EVAR. The review of the selected studies showed that although patients in the locoregional group were less medically fit compared with those in the general anesthesia group, there was a reduction in the cardiovascular support required during and after the surgery, postoperative hospital stay, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and postoperative mortality and morbidity. Although there is no level 1 evidence for or against locoregional anesthesia in EVAR, conventionally, EVAR has been performed under general anesthesia. But this is rooted in tradition rather than evidence. This review suggests that locoregional anesthesia can improve postoperative outcomes following EVAR by reducing hospital stay, ICU stay, mortality, and morbidity, although other factors may also have some influence.