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Int J Angiol 2023; 32(01): 026-033
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1750017
Original Article

Gender Influence on Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery in a Caribbean Population

Patrick Harnarayan
1   Department of Clinical Surgical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies
,
Steve Budhooram
2   Department of Vascular Surgery, The Surgi-Med Clinic, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies
,
Dave Harnanan
1   Department of Clinical Surgical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies
,
Michael J. Ramdass
1   Department of Clinical Surgical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies
,
Shariful Islam
3   Department of Surgery, San Fernando General and Teaching Hospitals, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies
,
Vijay Naraynsingh
1   Department of Clinical Surgical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies
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Abstract

Female patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are usually less common and older than their male counterparts. We report on AAA disease in a Caribbean nation with respect to gender and review their outcomes relative to the male population. Data were collected prospectively and analyzed retrospectively for patients with AAAs who underwent surgery from 2001 to 2018. Sixty patients were diagnosed with AAA with 44 going on to have surgical repair of which 35 were males, aged 61 to 89 (mean age 73.4 years). Nine women ages 44 to 74 years (mean age 60.8 years) had surgical intervention, three being between 40 and 49 years. The size of aneurysms in these patients ranged from 4.3 to 11.0 cm in diameter (average 6.95 cm), female patients having an average diameter of 6.7 cm. Of the 44 patients, 43 underwent open and one endovascular repair. Thirty-three were elective cases and 11 were ruptured with 32 aorto-aortic and 13 aorto-iliac repairs. There were nine fatalities, three elective and six ruptured, with only one being female. Women had similar outcomes to men in all age groups with young patients having good results. Female AAA patients are usually older, undergo less surgical procedures especially if endovascular, and have worse outcomes than their male counterparts. Our study showed that the females were younger but had similar outcomes to the male patients. The female Caribbean patients may present at much younger ages than in continental populations and this may be due to genetic, ethnic, or lifestyle factors.

Keywords

abdominal aortic aneurysm - female-gender - young - Caribbean

Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all the patients involved in this series. Institutional Review was conducted and approval granted by the South West Regional Health Authority's/San Fernando Hospitals Bioethics Committee. This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.


Authors' Contributions

All authors contributed to data analysis, drafting, or revising the article, have agreed on the journal to which the article will be submitted, gave final approval of the version to be published, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.


Disclosures

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.




Publication History

Article published online:
19 July 2022

© 2022. International College of Angiology. This article is published by Thieme.

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