Surgical treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms in infancy and early childhood.

Objective: Pediatric abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are rare. The intent of this report was to review the presentation and surgical management of AAAs in infancy and early childhood.

Methods: The clinical courses of young children undergoing AAA surgery were subjected to a retrospective review and analysis.

Results: Eleven children, nine boys and two girls, ranging in age from 2 weeks to 6 years, underwent surgical treatment of AAA at the University of Michigan from 2002 to 2014. Aneurysms were supraceliac (2), suprarenal (2), pararenal (2), or infrarenal (5). Associated iliac aneurysms (3) affected two children. Concomitant stenoses affected the renal (14), superior mesenteric (4), and celiac (3) arteries. AAAs were attributed to developmental defects (7), including three arising immediately beyond aortic narrowings; infection after umbilical artery catheterization (2); tuberous sclerosis (1); and trauma (1). Primary operative interventions included aneurysmectomy with a thoracoabdominal bypass (4), open aneurysmorrhaphy (2), closed aneurysmorrhaphy (2), and aneurysmectomy with an infrarenal aortoaortic bypass (1) or an aortoiliac bypass (2). Perioperative death occurred in one child who had preoperative heart and renal failure. Aortic graft occlusion affected two children at 1 month and 3 years postoperatively. The remaining children incurred no aortic reconstruction-related morbidity. Follow-up among the 10 survivors averaged 4.9 years.

Conclusions: Successful surgical treatment of AAAs in infants and young children requires careful execution of a diverse group of surgical techniques based on the etiology, the child's size and growth potential, and the aneurysm's location and coexisting branch involvement.