[Quality report 2011 of the German Society of Interventional Radiology (DeGIR)--part 2. Endovascular treatment of aortic aneurysms (EVAR)].

Purpose: To analyze the quality of treatment for endovascular aortic aneurysm repair using the data of the DeGIR quality management system.
Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of all data registered in the DeGIR quality management system of the year 2011 was performed regarding the treatment quality for endovascular aortic aneurysm repair. Registry of data within this system was voluntary. Quality aims of correct indication, treatment strategy and results were examined. Special interest was directed towards treatment success, complication rates and radiation exposure.
Results: Out of 82,881 data sets from the year 2011 overall 1167 cases of EVAR were registered. 12.4% of these cases encompassed emergency treatments. The most frequent indication was an abdominal aneurysm with 85% of cases. The median aortic diameter was 56.5 mm. 253 cases showed an aortic diameter between 50 and 55 mm. Technical success was achieved in 94.6% of all cases including emergency indications for aortic rupture. The overall complication rate of all cases was 4% with 2.5% major complications. Examining only the elective cases a mortality rate of 0.34% was found. EVAR of ruptured aneurysms yielded a mortality rate of 12%. Median dose area product and fluoroscopy time were 10,676.5 cGy × cm2 und 17.32 min respectively.
Conclusion: Data analysis of the DeGIR quality management system proved a very high technical success rate for the registered cases of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair accompanied by a low complication rate. Improvement of data quality will need further mandatory fields within the software to be implemented.
Key Points: The voluntary DeGIR quality management system has reached a high acceptance among radiologists. Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair by radiologists has shown a very high technical success rate and a very low complication rate.
(© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)