title: [Heart valve replacement in patients over age 60: analysis of the peri- and postoperative course compared to patients under age 60].
abstract: During recent years, advances in cardiology and cardiac surgery have led to an increased number of older patients submitted for heart valve replacement. The following retrospective study analyses perioperative risk and long-term prognosis of 168 patients older than 60 years of age, compared with 942 patients younger than 60 years of age with heart valve replacement. There was no significant difference in 7-year actuarial survival, late mortality, late complications and postoperative functional improvement for both groups. However, early mortality was higher in patients over 60 years of age than in the group of patients under 60 years (7.9% vs. 4.5% from 1980-85, p less than 0.05), especially when multivalvular replacement was performed or the patients were in preoperative functional class NYHA IV. The results indicate that in patients over 60 years of age, heart valve replacement can be performed with a good long-term prognosis and a marked improvement in the quality of life. Early mortality can be reduced to an acceptable rate if the patient is operated in time.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality*; D012306:Risk
vernacular_title: Herzklappenersatz bei über 60jährigen Patienten: Analyse des peri- und postoperativen Verlaufs im Vergleich zu unter 60jährigen.