Early Outcome of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients Less Than 40 Years Old Comparing with Elderly Patients

Age is one of the most important factors that have consistently emerged as the most potent predictors of mortality and morbidity after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. However, early results of CABG in young patients in comparison with elderly ones have been different in previous surveys. The aim of this study was to compare short-term mortality and morbidity in young versus older patients and evaluate the presence of risk factors and their influence on outcome in both groups. We conducted a retrospective database review of 13222 patients divided into two age groups: patients less than 40 years old (411 patients) and those older (12811 patients), who underwent CABG at Tehran Heart Center between January 2002 and January 2007. We also compared preoperative, operative, and postoperative characteristics between them and assessed the influence of the variables on the length of stay in hospital (LOS) in the two groups. Among postoperative complications, only atrial fibrillation (P<0.001) was more prevalent in the elderly group and other complications were similar. The thirty-day mortality rate was higher in the elderly group (1.1% vs. 0%, P=0.023). Also, prolonged LOS (P<0.001) and ICU stay (P<0.001) were found more prevalent in the elderly group. Among the preoperative and postoperative variables, emergency surgery, diabetes mellitus, and previous myocardial infarction influenced the prolonged LOS in the young patients. Early mortality rate and prolonged length of stay in ICU and hospital were higher in the elderly than those in the young patients; however, other postoperative early complications were similar between the two groups.