METHODS

both general surgery residents and vascular surgery fellows during training. With the introduction of less invasive endovascular aneurysm repair using stent grafts by Parodi in 1991,2 the possibility of replacement of open repair by endovascular repair has been raised. Some have reported that as many as 20 % to 80 % of patients will be treated with endovascular repair.3-6 This raises the possibility that the number of open repairs by vascular trainees will dramati-cally decrease and not meet the specified number required by the residency review committee. The purpose of this study was to review our aneurysm experience during the last 6 years, following the develop-ment of an endovascular stent-graft program, to evaluate the institutional pattern of AAA repair and the effects on open aneurysm repair for vascular fellowship training. We exam-ined the number and type of open abdominal aneurysm repairs before and after the initiation of this program