Emily Spangler, M.D.The University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Birmingham VA Medical Center are participating in a joint randomized trial to find out whether less-invasive endovascular surgery is always a better choice than traditional open surgical repair for veterans with aortic abdominal aneurysms. VA Medical Centers across the country are conducting a randomized trial to better understand veterans’ preferences for treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
The UAB Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy’s Emily Spangler, M.D., who also has an appointment with the Birmingham VA Medical Center, will serve as local site investigator for the study.
“We know we can do these different types of abdominal aortic aneurysm repairs, and we know they involve different risks and recovery times and significantly different chronic surveillance regimens,” Spangler said. “A lot is known about the procedure outcomes, but not as much about which treatment veterans prefer, if they are an acceptable candidate for either type of repair.”
The study, “Preferences for Open Versus Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm” or PROVE-AAA, is a $1.1 million study funded by the VA Health Services Research and Development branch, led by Dr. Philip P. Goodney in White River Junction, Vermont. PROVE-AAA began enrolling patients in May.