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Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Promising in Nonagenarians Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is becoming increasingly common among individuals in their nineties and appears to be a viable treatment option in this group, according to a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology.
CABG surgery creates new pathways around narrowed and blocked arteries, allowing sufficient delivery of blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the heart. Researchers studied the outcomes of the surgery on 4224 nonagenarian Medicare patients who underwent the procedure from 1993 through 1999. Judith Lichtman, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology in Yale School of Public Health, led the study. “Our results indicate that nonagenarians who are currently selected for CABG procedures can achieve years of life consistent with their elderly peers.” In 1999, CABG surgeries rose to 883 from 325 in 1993. Over the five years studied after the surgeries occurred, researchers found that women had better long-term survival than men. Half of the patients were male and half of the patients were female. However, women were more likely to be discharged to a nursing home after undergoing the procedure. “Our study identified higher long-term mortality rates for men. This gender gap merits further attention to determine if this reflects natural differences in longevity, or may be attributable to other factors that influence long-term mortality outcomes. The authors stated that additional research is needed to identify patient and clinical characteristics that are associated with improved outcomes to assist patients and physicians in determining the appropriateness of these procedures for this elderly population. Co-authors include Norinna Allen, Yun Wang, Roger Kapoor, Martha Radford, M.D., and Harlan Krumholz, M.D. -Story by Marcie Addy |
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