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Published on: March 27, 2018
Differences in Complications and Patency Rates in Young and Elderly Patients Undergoing Extra-Intracranial Bypass
Davide M Croci1, Jeffrey Farooq2, Molly Monsour2
1Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, United States.
Insights
Extra-Intracranial (EC-IC) bypass surgery is safe and effective for patients 70 and older, showing similar complication and patency rates compared to younger individuals. Age is not the primary factor in determining EC-IC bypass suitability.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Vascular Surgery
- Geriatric Medicine
Background:
- Extra-Intracranial (EC-IC) bypass surgery addresses hemodynamic insufficiency and cerebral ischemia.
- An aging population increases the incidence of conditions requiring EC-IC bypass.
- Evaluating EC-IC bypass outcomes in elderly patients is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze complications and patency rates of EC-IC bypass in patients aged 70 years and older.
- To compare these outcomes with a younger cohort (<70 years).
- To determine the efficacy and safety of EC-IC bypass in the elderly population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of patient charts for diagnosis, presentation, bypass type, and outcomes.
- Comparison of 17 patients (≥70 years) with 158 patients (<70 years) who underwent arterial bypass.
- Assessment of medical/surgical complications and graft patency rates (postoperative and follow-up).
Main Results:
- No significant differences in overall medical and surgical complication rates between older and younger patients.
- Similar direct postoperative and follow-up graft patency rates (88.2% older vs. 88.3% younger).
- Younger patients were more likely to undergo bilateral bypass (28.1% vs. 0%; p=0.01).
Conclusions:
- EC-IC bypass is safe and effective in patients aged 70 years and older.
- Outcomes are comparable to younger patients, suggesting age is not the sole determinant of benefit.
- Further research should explore factors beyond age for patient selection.
Abstract:
Extra-Intracranial (EC-IC) bypass surgery is an effective procedure to restore hemodynamic insufficiency and mitigating cerebral ischemia. With increasing life expectancy, the incidence of patients with hemodynamic insufficiency is expected to rise further. Here we aimed to analyze the complications and patency rate of patients ≥70 years that underwent EC-IC bypass and compare it with a younger cohort (<70 years).Patient charts were retrospectively reviewed for diagnosis, patient presentation, type of bypass, postoperative course, and follow-up. A total of 175 patients underwent arterial bypass during the study period. A total of 158 patients were <70 years old compared with 17 patients ≥70 years old.EC-IC bypass was performed with a scalp artery in 88.2% cases in the older group and 88.0% cases in the younger group. The younger group was more likely to undergo bilateral bypass (28.1%) than the older group (0%; p = 0.01). There were no significant differences in overall medical and surgical complication rates between older and younger patients undergoing arterial bypass (p = 0.61). Direct postoperative graft patency was similar between groups. Follow-up patency data were available in 97.7% of patients (average 18.0 ± 25.1 months). Graft patency rate at follow-up was 88.3%, with rates 88.2% in the older group and 88.3% in the younger group.Our data confirm previous data in the literature on the safety and efficacy of EC-IC Bypass in the elderly population. These results suggest that variables other than age may be more important in determining potential benefit from EC-IC bypass treatment.
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