title: [The elderly as heart surgery patients. Pre- and postoperative analysis of the quality of life].
abstract: The aim of the study was to measure pre- and postoperative quality of life of the old patient to find out his profit of open heart surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  71 patients ranging from 75 to 86 years (mean 77.6 years) were examined by using a standard interview about their quality of life on the day of hospital admittance and one year after returning home (range 11-14 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was an improvement of postoperative quality of life. These results were similar to data reported in the literature after investigating younger patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No one should be excluded from open heart surgery because of old age.
authors.affiliation: Sektion Herzchirurgie, Universitätsklinik Ulm.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lass
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oertel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Welz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hannekum
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000523:psychology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life
vernacular_title: Alte Menschen als herzchirurgische Patienten. Prä- und postoperative Analyse der Lebensqualität.