Bypass Surgery for the Young at Heart, Old in Years

02/13/08 Treatment Options

There was a time, in the not so distant past, when performing surgery on those older than 65 was not encouraged, with the exception of minor procedures, palliative, or emergency situations. However, with an aging population, the mindset has changed among mainstream medics.

A recently published report out of Great Britain (Papworth Hospital in Cambridge) cites a study between 1996 and 2003 which monitored 12,461 patients, 706 of whom were 80 years old or older. Those older patients who underwent cardiac bypass graft (CABG) surgery were 56 percent more likely to live five additional years compared to their peers. When their statistics were reviewed against those with cardiac artery disease who did not undergo surgery, they had an 80 percent higher five year survival rate.

The implications will prove significant to a population that has been making healthier lifestyle choices and therefore living longer. The author of the study acknowledges those lifestyle choices as a factor in the delay of cardiac disease—but not necessarily eliminating it. Cardiac maladies are, at this point, expected with aging.

CABG surgery is done to increase the quality of life, and until this long-term study had been completed, the efficacy of doing it for life extension had been in question. While one study doesn’t prove anything with finality, it does go a long way in confirming the possibility.

Though the aggressive intervention appears to be a positive step, we don’t know what the subjects’ statuses were in terms of physical stability. We don’t know the criteria for inclusion or exclusion for surgery. The age group is obviously at higher risk for complications and death. The study report does not indicate how the surgical patients were selected or whether they had equally as serious multi-system disorders. 

The results are much further reaching than extending life and the quality thereof for the golden-agers. Financially, it costs more to treat geriatric patients who generally require longer hospital stays. One of the factors to watch will be whether the number of CABG continues to increase. There may be a financial loss for hospitals and penalty to surgeons. It is cynical, but worthy of thought.

Corie Richter is a nurse and physician's assistant who started her career as a health educator. The survivor of a myocardial infarction (heart attack) and partially successful quadruple bypass surgery, she did not let her health challenges hamper her. Neither the limitations of spinal surgery nor of diabetes have deterred her from a mission of service. She now encourages others through writing and speaking engagements to master their disabilities through education and a proactive attitude.