Is open aortic aneurysm repair becoming an endangered art?

With the advent of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) over the past several decades, along with more recent technical advances that now allow for more complex aneurysms to be treated with branched-fenestrated devices, it is not surprising that the rate of open AAA repair is declining. The important question now is, has this decline become so drastic that open AAA can no longer serve as a relevant marker for hospital quality, or program discrimination for trainees?

When is surgery right for the elderly?

[[{"fid":"1792","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","alignment":"","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"default","alignment":"","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"2":{"format":"default","alignment":"","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"height":1292,"width":2000,"style":"height: 81px; width: 125px; float: left; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px;","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"2"}}]]How do surgeons know when an elderly person is strong enough to withstand the stress of surgery? It's not an exact science to determine "frailty," but a simple test may help.