Surgery for oesophageal carcinoma in the elderly.
OBJECTIVE
There has been a gradual increase in the number of elderly patients referred for oesophageal surgery. The aim of this study is to review our experience with oesophageal cancer surgery in the elderly.


METHODS
Between January 1974 and December 1996, 591 patients (408 males, 183 females; mean age 66 years) underwent an oesophageal resection for carcinoma. 221 were aged greater than 70 years of age (group A) and 370 less than 70 (group B).


RESULTS
Total in hospital mortality was 8.8% (52/591). This has decreased to less than 5% over the last decade. There was no significant difference in perioperative morbidity or mortality between the groups (P = 0.11). When deaths from unrelated medical conditions were excluded, there was no significant difference in survival between the different age groups (P = 0.96).


CONCLUSIONS
Oesophageal surgery can be performed in a selected elderly population with a low operative morbidity and mortality. The survival benefit of resection is the same in the elderly as for younger patients.
Dalrymple-Hay
M J
MJ
Wessex Cardiothoracic Centre, Southampton General Hospital, U.K.
Evans
K E
KE
Lea
R E
RE
D000368:Aged; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015996:Survival Rate