Coronary artery bypass surgery in the elderly.

This review of all patients operated on for isolated coronary artery disease from January 1985 to June 1989, was undertaken to determine the impact of advancing age on their final outcome following coronary artery bypass grafting. Three hundred and seventy patients were studied, 147 (39.7%) were less than 55 years old, 141 (38.1%) between 55 and 64 years, 55 (14.6%) between 65 and 69 years and 28 (7.6%) were aged 70 years and above. There were 10 deaths (2.7%) and 99 complications (26.8%). Using univariate analysis, advance age, the presence of some concomitant diseases, poor left ventricular function and left main stem disease were found to be significant risk factors. Patients with four or more grafts and those who underwent emergency or urgent surgery were also at greater risk of developing complications including death. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that increasing age beyond 65 years was an independent risk factor. Inspite of the above findings, it is recommended that elderly patients with uncontrollable unstable angina should not be denied surgery in view of their improved quality of life after surgery.