Long-term survival of the very elderly undergoing aortic valve surgery.
BACKGROUND
Increasing numbers of the very elderly are undergoing aortic valve procedures. We describe the short- and long-term survivorship for this cohort.


RESULTS
We conducted a cohort study of 7584 consecutive patients undergoing open aortic valve surgery without (51.1%; AVR) or with (48.9%; AVR + CABG) concomitant coronary artery bypass graft surgery between November 10, 1987 through June 30, 2006. Patient records were linked to the Social Security Administration's Death Master File. Survivorship was stratified by age and concomitant CABG surgery. During 39 835 person-years of follow-up, there were 2877 deaths. Among AVR, there were 3304 patients <80 years of age, 419 patients 80 to 84 years, and 156 patients > or =85 years (24 patients >90 years). Among AVR+CABG patients, there were 2890 patients <80 years of age, 577 patients 80 to 84 years, and 238 patients > or =85 years (22 patients >90 years). Median survivorship for patients undergoing isolated AVR was 11.5 years (<80 years), 6.8 years (80 to 84 years), 6.2 years (> or =85 years); for patients undergoing AVR+CABG, median survivorship was 9.4 years (<80 years), 6.8 years (80 to 84 years), and 7.1 years (> or =85 years). Among both procedures, adjusted survivorship was significantly different across strata of age (P<0.001). These findings are similar to life expectancy of the general population from actuarial tables: 80 to 84 years (7 years) and > or =85 years (5 years).


CONCLUSIONS
Survivorship among octogenarians is favorable, with more than half the patients surviving more than 6 years after their surgery. Concomitant CABG surgery does not diminish median survivorship among patients >80 years of age.
Likosky
Donald S
DS
Department of Surgery, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, NH, USA. donald.likosky@dartmouth.edu
Sorensen
Meredith J
MJ
Dacey
Lawrence J
LJ
Baribeau
Yvon R
YR
Leavitt
Bruce J
BJ
DiScipio
Anthony W
AW
Hernandez
Felix
F
Cochran
Richard P
RP
Quinn
Reed
R
Helm
Robert E
RE
Charlesworth
David C
DC
Clough
Robert A
RA
Malenka
David J
DJ
Sisto
Donato A
DA
Sardella
Gerald
G
Olmstead
Elaine M
EM
Ross
Cathy S
CS
O'Connor
Gerald T
GT
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies