title: Health-related quality of life and functional outcome in cardiac surgical patients aged 80 years and older: a prospective single center study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An increasing number of octogenarians are referred for cardiac surgical procedures. In this subset of patients, information on the health-related quality of life (HrQoL) is critical for decision making. However, there is a paucity of prospective data. Thus, we sought to prospectively evaluate the HrQoL in octogenarians undergoing cardiac surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective HrQoL analysis was performed in 106 elective patients (median age 83.0 ± 2.6 years, range 80-91.8 years, 59.4% male) undergoing cardiac surgery. The standardized SF-36 Health Survey questionnaire was answered preoperatively, and three and 12 months postoperatively. Preoperative data, perioperative outcome, and postoperative morbidity were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SF-36 scores for physical functioning (44.3 ± 2.3 vs. 52.0 ± 2.7; p < 0.001), role physical (25.2 ± 3.3 vs. 41.5 ± 4.1; p < 0.001), bodily pain (57.8 ± 3.2 vs. 70.7 ± 2.8; p < 0.01), general health (54.9 ± 1.7 vs. 59.6 ± 1.7; p < 0.001), vitality (41.1 ± 2.1 vs. 50.6 ± 2.1; p < 0.001), and mental health (67.5 ± 2.0 vs. 72.4 ± 1.9; p < 0.05) significantly improved from baseline to three months. Social functioning (75.4 ± 2.6 vs. 76.1 ± 2.5; p = 0.79) and role emotional (56.8 ± 4.5 vs. 58.0 ± 4.6; p = 0.29) improved slightly without reaching statistical significance. Correspondingly, at three months, physical component scores increased significantly compared to baseline (34.3 ± 1.0 vs. 39.4 ± 1.0; p < 0.001). SF-36 scores remained stable between three months and one year. No significant change was seen in the mental component score from baseline to three months (48.6 ± 1.2 vs. 49.8 ± 1.1; p = 0.18).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physical HrQoL is significantly improved in octogenarians three months after cardiac surgery remaining stable at one year postoperatively when compared to baseline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, German Heart Center at the Technical University of Munich, Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Marcus-André
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Deutsch
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krane
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wottke
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kornek
authors.forename: Yacine
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Elhmidi
authors.forename: Catalin Constantin
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Badiu
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bleiziffer
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Voss
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lange
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome