Why the study?
What are the mortality and functional outcomes of open-heart valvular surgery in patients aged 65 and older?
Population
36 patients, age 65 years and older, undergoing open-heart valvular surgery at a single center in California.
Design
Case_series
Follow-up
average 31 months after discharge
Authors
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High perioperative mortality warrants cautious patient selection in elderly valve surgery; leaves open whether modern techniques have improved outcomes.
What are the mortality and functional outcomes of open-heart valvular surgery in patients aged 65 and older?
In this historical cohort from 1964-1971, open-heart valve surgery in elderly patients carried a high hospital mortality (39%), but survivors experienced significant functional improvement.
Richard B. Guthrie (1972) studied this question.
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