ANALYSIS OF EARLY AND LATE OUTCOMES AFTER CONCOMITANT AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT AND CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFT SURGERY IN OCTOGENARIANS: A MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL AUSTRALIAN STUDY.

摘要

To the Editor: A global increase in life expectancy has significantly increased the population aged 80 and older. In Australia, the number of people aged 80 and older has increased 140% over the last 20 years, compared with a total population growth of only 30%. This trend will continue.Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in this population; as such, cardiac surgery is increasingly performed in older adults.Recent studies have demonstrated that isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and aortic valve replacement (AVR) in selected octogenarians is safe and efficacious. These findings contrast with the less-encouraging findings from earlier studies. After isolated CABG or AVR, concomitant AVR and CABG is the most commonly performed cardiac surgery procedure. Individuals undergoing AVR and CABG are generally older, with more comor-bidities, and undergo a more technically difficult procedure than those undergoing isolated CABG or AVR.