title: [Aortic dissection in elderly patients].
abstract: We performed 12 operations for aortic dissection in octogenarians from 1997 to 2004. Male : female = 1 : 11. Mean duration of follow-up is 33 +/- 19 months. As regards the etiology, acute type A aortic dissection was 8, chronic type A aortic dissection was 3 and chronic type B aortic dissection with distal arch aneurysm was 1. Total arch replacement was performed in 2 patients and hemiarch replacement in 10. In all patients with acute type A aortic dissection, hemiarch replacement was performed with the aid of selective cerebral perfusion or deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with retrograde cerebral perfusion. Postoperative respiratory failure was found in 1 patient, re-exploration for bleeding in 1, mediastinitis in 1 and temporary neurological dysfunction in 1. There was no hospital mortality. Two patients were died of respiratory failure 4 and 27 months after surgery. The results were acceptable. We recommend that age should not be the only determinant in deciding whether emergency operation should be performed in octogenarians.
authors.affiliation: Department of First Surgery, Hamamatsu University, School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kazui
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Washiyama
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies