title: Thoracic endografting is a viable option for the octogenarian.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of our study is to determine the feasibility of thoracic aortic endografting in octogenarians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2000 and 2006 a total of 504 consecutive patients from two high-volume institutions underwent thoracic endoluminal graft repair for various thoracic aortic pathologies. The following devices were used: Gore TAG (W.L. Gore, Flagstaff, AZ); Talent (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN); and Zenith (Cook, Inc, Bloomington, IN). One hundred one (101 of 504; 20%) patients were octogenarians; 60 males (1.5:1, M:F) with a mean age of 83.7 years. Indications for intervention included the following: atherosclerotic aneurysms, 75 (75 of 101, 74%); acute and chronic dissections, 11(11 of 101, 11%); penetrating aortic ulcers, 9 (9 of 101, 9%); contained ruptures, 5 (5 of 101, 5%); and 1 transection (1 of 101, 1%). Mean length of follow-up was 3.4 +/- 2.1 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No intraoperative deaths were noted. Thirty-day mortality was 10% (10 of 101 patients) with an overall late mortality of 26.7% (27 of 101 patients). Mean hospital stay was 6.3 days. A total of 12 neurologic events were noticed: 2 paraplegia (2 of 101, 2%); 4 paraparesis (4 of 101, 4%), 3 with full recovery; and 6 (6 of 101, 6%) cerebrovascular accidents with full recovery in half. A total of 15 endoleaks (15 of 101, 15%) were seen and, in 11, interventions were required.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that technical success is high and age-specific outcomes in this group of patients are favorable. Further studies are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular and Endovascular Surgery, Arizona Heart Institute, Arizona, USA. opsmile01@aol.com
authors.forename: Ourania
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Preventza
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bavaria
authors.forename: Venkatesh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ramaiah
authors.forename: G William
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Szeto
authors.forename: Grayson
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wheatley
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moeller
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodriquez-Lopez
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Diethrich
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery*; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male