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Cardiac Surgery Poses Manageable Risk for Octogenarians

Wed, 03/15/2000 - 1:00am — Karen Stevenson
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Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for older Americans, but physicians are often reluctant to perform coronary artery bypass surgery and other potentially life-saving operations on octogenarians, citing their age as an overwhelming risk factor. A new study published in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reveals that cardiac surgery can be a safe option for many elderly patients. Dr. Karen P. Alexander of Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC examined data on 67,764 patients, 4,743 of them octogenarians, who underwent cardiac surgery at 22 centers participating in the National Cardiovascular Network (NCN). She found that octogenarians without other risk factors, such as a recent heart attack, did almost as well as their younger counterparts.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for older Americans, but physicians are often reluctant to perform coronary artery bypass surgery and other potentially life-saving operations on octogenarians, citing their age as an overwhelming risk factor. A new study published in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reveals that cardiac surgery can be a safe option for many elderly patients. Dr. Karen P. Alexander of Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC examined data on 67,764 patients, 4,743 of them octogenarians, who underwent cardiac surgery at 22 centers participating in the National Cardiovascular Network (NCN). She found that octogenarians without other risk factors, such as a recent heart attack, did almost as well as their younger counterparts.