Postoperative Outcome of High-Risk Octogenarians Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: A Multicenter Observational Retrospective Study.

PURPOSE: Cardiac surgery in octogenarians with severely deteriorated functional status is increasingly common, but outcome data are still limited. The aim of this study was to compare postoperative outcome, survival, and quality of life of low-, medium-, and high-risk octogenarians undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS: In all, 285 Czech octogenarians who underwent any cardiac surgical procedure between January 2011 and December 2012 were included in the study. Five out of all twelve national adult cardiac surgical centers participated in the study, representing almost half of all octogenarians operated in our country in that period. Patients' perioperative data were analyzed retrospectively. Follow-up was performed by interviewing patients by telephone. RESULTS: There was higher 30-day mortality (20% vs. 6.4% vs. 5.2%, respectively, p <0.001), lower 2-year survival (60% vs. 84.0% vs. 85.4%, respectively, p <0.05), and lower Karnofsky score (44.4 vs. 70.1 vs. 70.6, respectively, p <0.001) in high-risk group compared with medium- and low-risk groups, respectively. Greater improvement in New York Heart Association (NYHA) status was noted in high- and medium-risk groups compared with low-risk group (51% vs. 45% vs. 24%, respectively, p <0.05). CONCLUSION: High perioperative mortality, poor 2-year survival, and low postoperative quality of life have been observed in high-risk octogenarians undergoing cardiac surgery.

Rescue peri-operative management of the patient with giant electrical storm and severe left ventricular dysfunction: support by levosimendan and intraaortic balloon counterpulsation.

We present a case of a 62-year-old male patient (coronary heart disease, and stenosis of aortic valve) with severe left ventricular dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction 20%, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter 80 mm, end-diastolic volume 329 ml) who developed giant electrical storm (on the whole 115 episodes of pulseless ventricular tachycardia treated by antiarrhythmics and electrical discharges) with low-elevation of cardiac biomarkers. The patient was referred to emergent cardiac surgery (double coronary bypass grafting, aortic valve replacement, and implantation of left ventricular epicardial electrode). Levosimendan and intraaortic balloon counterpulsation were used for successful weaning from the cardiopulmonary bypass; no other arrhythmia appeared in the post-bypass period. Postoperatively no arrhythmic events were detected, and repeated echocardiographic examinations of the patient in good general condition showed gradual improvement of left ventricular ejection fraction (30-35%), likewise in other parameters (left ventricular end-diastolic diameter 72 mm, end-diastolic volume 285 ml).