Coronary artery bypass grafting in octogenarians

The aging of the Japanese population and improvements in surgical techniques have resulted in an increasing number of elderly patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We reviewed the records of 11 patients 80 years of age or older (mean age 82+/-0.38 years, range, 80 to 85 years) who had undergone a CABG at our institution between August 1989 and February 1999. Eight patients were males and 3 were females. Preoperatively, 4 of 11 patients were categorized as New York Heart Association class II, 4 as class III, 3 as class II. The operations were elective in 8 cases, and emergent in 3. Three patients presented with neck and cerebrovascular disease. One patient experienced chronic renal failure. No patients died within 30 postoperative days and no in-hospital deaths occurred. A total of 11 were followed up for an average of 35+/-11 months (range, 1 to 105 months). One patient died due to unknown causes. There was a significant decrease in overall anginal symptoms after CABG among the survivors, with the average decrease being from NYHA class 3.1 to 1.5. In conclusion, CABG is a safe and effective surgical procedure in the treatment of octogenarians with heart disease.