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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Standardized Technique of Aortic Valve Re-implantation for Valve-sparing Aortic Root Replacement
Published on: December 11, 2017
Outcomes of aortic valve replacement performed by residents in octogenarians
Shuab Omer1, Danny Chu, Joseph Huh
1Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Background:
Aortic valve replacement (AVR) traditionally carries a significant risk in elderly patients. We evaluated the outcomes of AVR in octogenarian patients in the context of surgical education.
Methods:
A retrospective review of all AVR operations (n=23) performed by residents at a single academic institution between May 1992 and May 2007 on patients who were >/=80 y old.
Results:
All patients were men (mean age, 83+/-2.5 y). The predominant valve disease was aortic stenosis. Comorbidities included coronary artery disease (n=15), New York Heart Association class III/IV congestive heart failure (n=15), hypertension (n=17), diabetes (n=5), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n=5), peripheral vascular disease (n=6), and cerebrovascular disease (n=3). Major postoperative morbidity included cerebrovascular accident (n=1), mediastinitis (n=1), reoperation for bleeding (n=1), and respiratory failure (n=3; 2 required a tracheostomy). There were no operative deaths. The mean length of total hospital stay (to home discharge) after AVR was 36+/-45 d, of which 19+/-14 d were spent in an acute surgical care unit. Follow-up was complete; the 1-, 3-, and 5-y survival rates were 96%, 86%, and 55%, respectively.
Conclusions:
Supervised residents can safely perform AVR on octogenarian patients and achieve good outcomes.
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