CORONARY-ARTERY BYPASS-GRAFTING IN THE OCTOGENARIAN

We have performed coronary bypass grafting in 25 patients 80 years of age or more. The patients' preoperative conditions were characterized by recent myocardial infarction (16/25, or 64%), obesity (15/25, or 60%), hypertension (14/25, or 56%), and left ventricular dysfunction (21/25, or 84%). There were no deaths in the hospital or within 30 days of operation (0/25, or 0%). Postoperative complications occurred in five cases (20%). Complications were leg incision infection (2/25, or 8%), urinary tract infection (1/25, or 4%), stroke (1/25, or 4%), and transient neurologic deficit (1/25, or 4%). There were no instances of reoperation for bleeding, perioperative myocardial infarction, renal failure, pulmonary failure, intraaortic balloon pump use, or sternotomy infection in these patients. Eleven patients (44%) were hospitalized for fewer than 10 days after operation, and all but two (23/25, or 92%) were discharged within 20 days after operation. All patients were followed up, and survival and New York Heart Association functional class were determined. Cumulative survival rate was 94% at 1 year and 88% at 5 years. The cumulative percent survival rate with class I or II function was 92% at 1 year and 80% at 5 years. No patient had recurrent angina.