Quality of life in octagenarians after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Efficacy of coronary artery bypass grafting is well accepted, but its role in octogenarians remains unclear. Therefore, quality of life was evaluated in 73 consecutive octogenarians who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (1996 to 2001) with data collected in terms of age, gender, New York Heart Association status, co-morbidities, and intra- and postoperative complications. Quality of life was evaluated by a standardized questionnaire to assess postoperative outcomes in terms of functional status (Karnofsky scale), morbidity, and mortality.