Extra-anatomic bypass for aorto-iliac occlusive disease in octogenarians.

Fifteen patients over 80 years of age with aorto-iliac occlusive disease (AIOD) underwent surgical revascularization of an ischemic lower extremity by extra-anatomic bypasses. The mean age at operation was 81.7 years, ranging from 80 to 86 years. Surgical revascularization of the ischemic lower limbs could safely be performed with an extra-anatomic bypass in these patients without any major complications. The mean follow-up period was 32.7 months. Eight patients died during the follow-up, only one of them died from myo-nephropathic metabolic syndrome related to acute graft occlusion. As a long-term result, the cumulative survival after 37 months was only 23.9%, while the actual graft patency rate was 43.8% after 60 months in this series. The survival period with an improved quality of life after surgical intervention reached a level of approximately 40% of that for the general population. There should be no hesitation over whether to carry out surgical intervention for AIOD in patients over 80 years of age, because a reasonable extension of life can be obtained by an extra-anatomic bypass.