title: Cardiac surgery in the octogenarian: perioperative outcome and clinical follow-up.
abstract: The perioperative and follow-up results of cardiac operations employing extracorporeal circulation and cold cardioplegic arrest were examined in 191 consecutive patients greater than or equal to 80 years of age having surgery over a 5 year period (1982 to 1986). Most patients had severe preoperative symptoms with functional class III (39.8%) or IV (57.1%) limitation. The overall 30 day postoperative cardiac mortality rate was 15.7%. The total in-hospital mortality rate was 18.8%; the mean postoperative hospital stay was 16.4 +/- 13.3 days. The perioperative mortality rate for elective operations was as follows: coronary artery bypass (5.6%), aortic valve replacement (9.6%), aortic valve replacement with coronary bypass (17.9%) and mitral valve surgery with or without coronary bypass (21.4%). Urgent operations were performed in 39 patients (20.4%) with a total perioperative mortality rate of 35.9%; urgent coronary artery bypass was performed in 26 patients (67%) with an in-hospital mortality rate of 23.1%. Clinical evidence of left ventricular failure, functional class IV symptoms, left ventricular ejection fraction less than 50%, mitral valve repair or replacement for severe mitral regurgitation and urgent operation were associated with an increased perioperative mortality rate. Follow-up study in all 155 patients surviving postoperative hospitalization at 22.6 +/- 14.8 months showed significant improvement in symptom status in all surgical subgroups. There were 18 follow-up deaths (11.6%); 10 were noncardiac. The actuarial survival rate of the entire study group was significantly better than that in age- and gender-matched control subjects (p = 0.037).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905.
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: H V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Schaff
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Orszulak
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Naessens
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Tajik
mesh_terms: D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality*; D012307:Risk Factors