Atrial septal defect in patients ages 60 years or older: operative results and long-term postoperative follow-up.

Between 1955 and 1977, 66 patients ages 60 years or older underwent operative closure of secundum atrial septal defect. Of these, 56 (85%) were catheterized preoperatively. The 56 patients were divided into three groups to assess the effects of pulmonary hypertension on operative mortality, symptoms and longevity. The 17 group 1 patients had peak systolic pulmonary artery pressures (PAPs) of less than 40 mm Hg; the 21 group 2 patients had PAPs of 40-60 mm Hg; and the 18 group 3 patients had PAPs of more than 60 mm Hg. Among the three groups, there was no significant difference in Qp/Qs, right or left atrial pressures, right or left ventricular end-diastolic pressures and Qs, although pulmonary vascular resistance was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) in group 3 than in group 1. Four patients died, yielding an operative mortality of 6%. All four patients had undergone additional operative procedures. Operative mortality was unrelated to preoperative symptom class, PAP or pulmonary vascular resistance. Forty-seven patients were followed up for 2-20 years (mean 6.6 years), and of these, 41 (87%) improved by at least one functional class. Symptomatic benefit occurred in all groups, regardless of preoperative PAP, pulmonary vascular resistance or functional class. Actuarial survival curves showed that longevity at 5 and 10 years postoperatively was significantly increased (p less than 0.01) for patient with atrial septal defect treated surgically compared with that predicted for age-matched patients treated medically.