[Cardiac operations in nine patients aged 80 years or older]

Nine patients aged 80 years or older underwent cardiac operations with cardiopulmonary bypass. Seven patients underwent coronary artery bypass surgery, one modified Bentall's operation and another patch closure of ventricular septal perforation. One patient died soon after operation (11 POD) and operative mortality was 11%. One died 7 months after operation because of rupture of dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysm. Seven patients are still alive within physical status of New York Heart Association Classes I or II. We conclude that cardiac operations should not be excluded in octogenarians because of their chronological age alone.