The effect of diabetes on mid-term survival of open heart surgery patients aged over 70 years

Aim: To determine the effect of diabetes on mid-term survival rates of the patients over 70 years of age who underwent an open heart surgery. Material and Method: Patients who underwent an open heart surgery between November 2016 and May 2019 in our center included in this retrospective study. The patients younger than 70 years were excluded. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 included diabetic patients, Group 2 included non-diabetic patients. The patients who were followed-up for less than 24 months were excluded. Results: A total 389 patients were evaluated and 93 (23.9%) patients aged over 70 years were included in this retrospective study. Group 1 included 36 (38.7%) type 2 diabetic patients and Group 2 included 57 (61.3%) non-diabetic patients. The general mean follow-up time was 48.25±10.42 months (range between 30.83-77.07 months). The number of emergency operations was significantly higher in non-diabetic patients group (p= 0.005). The mortality rates were similar in both groups (30.55% in Group1, 35.08% Group 2, p= 0.652). The survival times of the groups were also similar (63.49±3.42 months in diabetic patients, 59.40±2.67 months in non-diabetic patients group, p= 0.254). Conclusion: Diabetes mellitus has no effect on the mid-term survival rates of the older patients who underwent open heart surgery.