The Severity of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Is Associated With Adverse Outcomes After Open Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

This study assessed the impact of preoperative airflow limitation, stratified by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stages, on outcomes after open thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exhibited a higher incidence of pulmonary complications, operative mortality, and adverse events compared to those without COPD, with worsening GOLD severity independently associated with operative death and adverse events. The findings suggest that preoperative risk stratification using GOLD stages can help identify high-risk patients and optimizing their respiratory function may improve outcomes following TAAA repair.