Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair volume

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Repair is the surgical repair of an aneurysm in the abdominal aorta that is done to prevent the rupture of the aneurysm. The diseased portion of the aorta (the portion with the aneurysm) is replaced with a tube made out of man-made material. The graft takes the place of the diseased aorta, which allows blood to flow easily through it to the kidneys, legs and feet.

The volume for this measure is reflective of open or traditional AAA repair.  Open surgeries require larger incisions than those needed for minimally invasive surgeries.  AAA repair is a technically difficult surgery with relatively high mortality rates.  Higher volume hospitals have been noted to have lower mortality rates.
 

About this measure

The first graph below shows the number of open AAA repairs the hospital performed.  The second graph shows a trend over time for this measure.