1. Defining risk and identifying predictors of mortality for open conversion after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair 
Salvatore T. Scali, MD, Adam W. Beck, MD, Catherine K. Chang, MD, Dan Neal, MS, Robert J. Feezor, MD, David H. Stone, MD, Scott A. Berceli, MD, PhD, Thomas S. Huber, MD, PhD 
Journal of Vascular Surgery 
Volume 63, Issue 4, Pages e1 (April 2016)
DOI: /j.jvs
Copyright © 2016 Society for Vascular Surgery Terms and Conditions

2. Fig 1
Estimated probability of death within 30-days after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair conversion (EVAR-c) or primary aortic repair (PAR) for six different patient risk profiles. Six theoretical patients with combinations of different preoperative risk factors that result in different predicted 30-day mortality risk. Notably, EVAR-c is not a factor in our risk model. On the basis of the prediction model derived from the data set, these patients are representative of low-, intermediate-, and high-risk on the basis of the assigned tertile of risk. The graphic reflects estimated probabilities from a model that includes EVAR-c, as well as all the factors in the original risk model. Although the graphic might seem to imply that conversion is a risk factor, the EVAR-c variable was discarded from the original multivariable 30-day mortality model because it was not associated with mortality. The graphic shows a slight increase in risk for EVAR-c compared with PAR however, the P value for the effect of conversion is .69, which indicates that there is no statistical reason to believe that the true ‘additive risk’ of the EVAR-c variable is not zero or going in the opposite direction (which would potentially mean higher risk for PAR compared with EVAR-c). COPD, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Cr, creatinine.
Journal of Vascular Surgery  , e1DOI: ( /j.jvs )
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3. Fig 2
Comparison of the rate of postoperative complications for high risk patients who undergo endovascular aortic aneurysm repair conversion (EVAR-c) and primary aortic repair (PAR) in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI). Among the highest tertile of 30-day mortality risk there is no significant difference in the rate of any major postoperative complications, major adverse cardiac event (MACE) occurrence, or 30-day death among PAR and EVAR-c patients. Note that 72% of the EVAR-c patients fall into the highest risk tertile for postoperative 30-day mortality, which reflects a subset of patients with a greater prevalence of significant demographic and cardiovascular covariates that independently predict likelihood of postoperative death.
Journal of Vascular Surgery  , e1DOI: ( /j.jvs )
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4. Fig 3
Nonadjusted survival after elective endovascular aortic aneurysm repair conversion (EVAR-c) and primary aortic repair (PAR) in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI). Kaplan-Meier curve provides the estimated survival for all patients in the analysis. As expected, the EVAR-c patients had worse overall survival compared with the PAR patients (Log rank P < .001) because they had a greater incidence of important mortality predictors. All displayed intervals have <10% standard error of the mean.
Journal of Vascular Surgery  , e1DOI: ( /j.jvs )
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5. Fig 4
Risk-adjusted survival after elective endovascular aortic aneurysm repair conversion (EVAR-c) and primary aortic repair (PAR) in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI). Survival analysis among high risk patients showed no difference (log rank P = .44) in outcome among EVAR-c and PAR patients. This further supports the concept that when controlling for patient and procedure-related predictors of postoperative mortality that the need for endograft explantation in and of itself is not an important driver of this outcome. All displayed intervals have <10% standard error of the mean.
Journal of Vascular Surgery  , e1DOI: ( /j.jvs )
Copyright © 2016 Society for Vascular Surgery Terms and Conditions