Open-Heart Surgery on the Elderly

Abstract

Data on 54 patients, 60 years of age or more, who had open-heart surgery are reported. This series is comprised of all patients in this age group who were treated surgically from January 1, 1957, to December 31, 1964. Eighty-two per cent were operated on in the past 2 years.

The most common indications for operation were left ventricular aneurysm and aortic valve disease (39 patients). The ages of the patients in this series ranged from 60 to 73 years, with a mean age of 63. Operative mortality was 20% for the entire series and 11% in the last year reported (1964).

It is concluded that advanced age should not be a deterrent to the selection of surgical therapy for elderly patients with heart disease provided that the proper indications exist. Open-heart surgery may be performed in the elderly with mortality that compares favorably with that encountered in younger individuals with similar lesions.