Octogenarians fare well after heart surgery, with those sent home after surgery doing better than those discharged to general care facilities.
To analyze long-term survival rates of octogenarian patients discharged to home versus to a facility, researchers from the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute in Falls Church, Va., used local data from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database on 307 patients ages 80 years and older who had valve surgery from 2002 to 2010.
They found that octogenarians have excellent survival, but may do better when discharge to a care facility can be avoided. Survival at one year was 94.6% for patients discharged to home versus 85.8% for those discharged to a care facility.
"Based on our study results, I strongly recommend that these patients recover at home and not in a facility, which may have very limited professional resources such as staff nutritionists and physical and occupational therapists," Linda Henry, RN, PhD, the study’s lead investigator, said in a news release.
"If home is not an option, then a good alternative is a facility staffed with medical professionals who are trained to assist complex patients in quickly regaining their strength so they can go home."
Although octogenarians routinely undergo valve surgery with excellent results, many of these patients are very sick and unable to return home following surgery because they require extra services, according to the study.
Henry said that the biggest advantage of being discharged to home is the social support of family and friends. Being in familiar surroundings also physiologically reinforces the understanding that patients are getting better.
Patients often are transferred to care facilities because they lack social support at home, so there may be no choice in their disposition. Also, many patients who are unable to go home immediately have more complications before discharge, so transferred patients may be at higher risk for subsequent events.
However, patients discharged to more specialized facilities had equivalent survival to those who went home, according to the study.
"Some of the octogenarians require focused services on a more regimented basis than what can be given to them in a less specialized facility," Henry said. "Psychologically, patients in specialized facilities may feel that they are actively working to get stronger so they can return home."
Diseased heart valves may cause shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, fainting, swelling, palpitations and chest tightness. Cardiothoracic surgeons can replace or repair heart valves to relieve symptoms and prolong life.
The study appears in the September issue of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery. The study abstract is available at http://bit.ly/QJWdEd.
To analyze long-term survival rates of octogenarian patients discharged to home versus to a facility, researchers from the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute in Falls Church, Va., used local data from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database on 307 patients ages 80 years and older who had valve surgery from 2002 to 2010.
They found that octogenarians have excellent survival, but may do better when discharge to a care facility can be avoided. Survival at one year was 94.6% for patients discharged to home versus 85.8% for those discharged to a care facility.
"Based on our study results, I strongly recommend that these patients recover at home and not in a facility, which may have very limited professional resources such as staff nutritionists and physical and occupational therapists," Linda Henry, RN, PhD, the study’s lead investigator, said in a news release.
"If home is not an option, then a good alternative is a facility staffed with medical professionals who are trained to assist complex patients in quickly regaining their strength so they can go home."
Although octogenarians routinely undergo valve surgery with excellent results, many of these patients are very sick and unable to return home following surgery because they require extra services, according to the study.
Henry said that the biggest advantage of being discharged to home is the social support of family and friends. Being in familiar surroundings also physiologically reinforces the understanding that patients are getting better.
Patients often are transferred to care facilities because they lack social support at home, so there may be no choice in their disposition. Also, many patients who are unable to go home immediately have more complications before discharge, so transferred patients may be at higher risk for subsequent events.
However, patients discharged to more specialized facilities had equivalent survival to those who went home, according to the study.
"Some of the octogenarians require focused services on a more regimented basis than what can be given to them in a less specialized facility," Henry said. "Psychologically, patients in specialized facilities may feel that they are actively working to get stronger so they can return home."
Diseased heart valves may cause shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, fainting, swelling, palpitations and chest tightness. Cardiothoracic surgeons can replace or repair heart valves to relieve symptoms and prolong life.
The study appears in the September issue of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery. The study abstract is available at http://bit.ly/QJWdEd.
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