The epidemiology of surgically repaired aneurysms in the United States.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the results of surgery for hospitalized cases of aneurysms in the United States, thereby providing a standard of comparison for new techniques proposed to treat aneurysms.

Methods: Data on hospitalized aneurysm cases were collected from the National Hospital Discharge Survey, a comprehensive database of patients hospitalized in the United States for treatment from the years 1984 to 1994. The National Hospital Discharge Survey samples non-federal, acute-care hospitals with an average length of stay of less than 30 days.