title: Cardiac surgery in the octogenarian: nursing implications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine morbidity and mortality rates in octogenarians undergoing cardiac surgical repairs and to compare these results with a similar group of younger patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, two-group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Midwestern university medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Group I consisted of 235 male and female patients who were all less than 80 years of age. Group II consisted of 235 male and female patients who were 80 years of age or older. Both groups underwent similar cardiac surgical procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Development of postoperative complications, length of hospitalization, and mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When comparing octogenarians with younger patients, octogenarians developed significantly more postoperative complications with higher operative mortality. In addition, octogenarians were hospitalized significantly longer than the younger group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that age is a major risk factor influencing outcome after surgery. However, by incorporating nursing interventions with geriatric concepts, those postoperative complications that are common in octogenarians may be more effectively treated and possibly prevented. With sensitive and knowledge-based care, most older patients can anticipate good recovery after cardiac surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St. Louis University Health Sciences Center, MO 63110-0250.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Vaca
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Lohmann
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Moskoff
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality / Q000451:nursing; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors