The results after prosthetic aortic valve replacement. What effect does old age have?

Data were retrospectively analysed of 149 consecutive patients with aortic valve stenosis (91 males and 58 females; mean age 64 [27-86] years) who had a prosthetic valve implanted between 1986 and 1988. The overall operative mortality rate was 3.4%, the one-year mortality rate was 4.7%. Operative mortality rate for those aged 27-74 years was 1.7% (2 of 120), but 10.3% (3 of 29) for those aged 75 to 86 years (P less than 0.05). None of the patients in clinical grade III (NYHA classification) died within 30 days of the operation. Among those in grade IV the operative mortality rate was 15.8% (3 of 19) for those aged 75-86, but 4.0% (2 of 50) for those aged below 75 years (P less than 0.05). Valve replacement in symptomatic aortic stenosis with a prosthetic valve is today the method of choice. Operative mortality rate is low, even for patients of advanced age, particularly if the operation is done early.