Open Heart Surgery in Patients Older Than 70 Years: A Two-Years' Experience

Open heart surgery in elderly patients is carrying a higher risk related to decreased vital organ reserves. Between May 1993 and May 1995, 41 patients o1der than 70 years (mean age 73.4 years) underwent open heart surgery. There were 33 men and 9 women. Twenty-six (62%) were patients urgently or emergently operated on. Coronary artery bypass grafting was the most commonly performed operation with 38 cases, including nine combined procedures. 87% of the coronary patients received an internal mam mary artery graft. The overall operative mortality rate was 14.3% (6/42), 6.9% in isolated coronary artery bypass grafting. In 20 patients (48%) complications were seen, mostly cardiac arrhythmias. There were no Iate deaths. After a mean follow-up period of ten months (ranging from ı to 25) the operative survivors performed very well, with 89% (32/36) in New York Heart Association class I or Il, and the remaining in class III. Despite its increased early mortality and morbidity rates, open heart surgery in the elderly patient strongly deserves consideration with its favorable Iate results.