Is age an important risk factor for the outcome of elective abdominal aneurysm surgery?

This retrospective study involves 590 patients who underwent elective abdominal aortic surgery in the years 1966-1990. These patients are subdivided into three groups by time of intervention: 1st = 1966-1978; 2nd = 1979-1988; 3rd = 1988-1990, and each group is subdivided into two subgroups according to whether age is over or under 70. A progressive decrease in mortality is statistically significant through these years. No difference in the age-subgroups were observed except for a greater rate of minor postoperative complications. Elective surgical repair of aneurysmatic disease of the abdominal aorta is a safe procedure also in patients over 70 years in the presence of correct hemodynamic intraoperative monitoring and of a skilled surgical equipe.