Graft selection in elderly patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to assess the clinical and angiographic outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in elderly patients (≥75 years).

METHODS

We reviewed the records of 1021 patients who underwent CABG between September 2004 and December 2009. We divided these patients into two groups: ≥75 years (group E, n = 292) versus <75 years (group N, n = 729). We compared operative and postoperative variables and early and 1-year angiographic patency rates of grafts between the groups.

RESULTS

The rates of female sex (P < 0.01), unstable angina (P = 0.04), and history of congestive heart failure (P < 0.01) were higher in group E than in group N. More patients in group N had diabetes (P = 0.03) and hyperlipidemia (P < 0.01) than those in group E. Operative mortality (1.0% in group E vs. 0.3% in group N; P = 0.14) and the rate of major complications were not significantly different between the groups. The mean number of anastomoses per patient was similar in the groups. The rate of left internal thoracic artery use was not significantly different between the groups, although the use of other arterial grafts was significantly higher in group N than in group E. There were no significant differences in the early (98.5% vs. 97.2%, P = 0.08) or 1-year (91.6% vs. 89.3%, P = 0.28) patency rates of all grafts in the groups.

CONCLUSION

The clinical and angiographic outcomes after CABG in elderly patients were almost identical to those in nonelderly patients.