title: Outcome of heart surgery procedures in octogenarians: is age really not an issue?
abstract: Survival rates are a well-known marker for quality performance of a cardiac surgery department, as well as standard of procedures, freedom of reoperation, postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, improvement in New York Heart Association classification and quality of life after surgery. Until recently there has not been any great interest of surgeons in topics concerning the costs of postoperative care, as long as the results were successful. However, satisfactory results after cardiac surgery in aged people require successful procedures, as well as meticulous perioperative care. The expenses of healthcare are constantly growing and approaches to optimize costs in all departments of medicine have a high priority. Exact evaluation of comorbidities and prevention of complications in aged people, as well as attentive strategies concerning expenses, may help to reduce mortality, postoperative complications and costs.
authors.affiliation: Heart Institute Lahr/Baden, Department of Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Hohbergweg 2, 77933 Lahr, Germany. anita.pritisanac@heart-lahr.com
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pritisanac
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gulbins
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rosendahl
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ennker
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D002423:Cause of Death; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index