Is arterial surgery advisable for patients over 80 years of age?
BACKGROUND
Recently life expectancy has become longer and longer. The purpose of this study was to analyse whether arterial surgery for patients over 80 years of age is advisable.


METHODS
During the last 14 years, 527 patients, 50 of whom were over 80 and 477 of whom were under 80 years of age, received graft replacement or bypass surgery. They suffered from ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (R-AAA, n=21), non-ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (N-R AAA, n=133) or arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO, n=373). Complications such as cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, respiratory and kidney dysfunction, and risk factors for ASO were also checked.


RESULTS
All of the patients over 80 with R-AAA (n=3/3) and 50% of the patients under 80 with R-AAA (n=9/18) died during their stay in the hospital. However, none of the N-R AAA patients over 80 (n=0/7) and only one of the 126 N-R AAA patients (0.8%) under 80 died. For the patients over 80 with ASO, the graft patency rate was better than the patients  survival rate. There were no age-specific factors that should condemn arterial surgery for patients over 80 years of age.


CONCLUSIONS
Arterial surgery should not be ruled out on the basis of age alone.
Matsubara
J
J
Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan.
Sakamoto
S
S
Shikata
H
H
Hida
K
K
Kobayashi
M
M
Kobata
T
T
Kurose
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D001158:Arteries / Q000601:surgery; D001162:Arteriosclerosis Obliterans / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors