my dad, 71 yrs old , took angiogram recently. Drs suggest bypass surgery. I m worry that as he is 71, is bypass surgery good for him or not? He's too weak n thin, I think he's too old to do surgery.
Q: My dad is 71 years old and thin. Will he be able to stand the bypass surgery?
Answers (2)
9/ 8/09 8:52am
Hi SWe: 71 is actually quite a young age. Most people at 71 tolerate cardiac surgery well. The risk for bypass surgery is not increased till age 80 and greater.
More important than the age would be your father's functional ability. You say he is weak. What can he do physically? Can he walk up stairs, exercises regularly? If he has no real physical limitations and no lung disease then the risk is quite low at most centers.
Also important is other complicating medical conditions: kidney disease, other illness.
Talk to you doctor. They can tell you what your father's risk is.
take care,
Dr. Kirk Laman
www.drlaman.com
9/ 9/09 9:34pm
Does he have significant symptoms? Does he have daily chest pain? If he has no physical limitations he might do better with medical care.
For a person to have a reduction in mortality a patient needs to have 3 vessel disease, and a weakened muscle. Otherwise medical care could work as well as bypass.
This should be discussed with your cardiologist.
take care,
Dr. Kirk Laman
www.drlaman.com
9/10/09 12:28am
Hi Dr.
what kind of significant symptoms? THere's no chest pain within past 2 weeks. His intake is quite ok now. He eats not much, but it is a lil bit more than what he ate before. I am going to see the cardiologist on Monday. What are the facts that I should ask the cardiologist apart from his age, his resistance? BTW what is the relation of potassium with the surgery? let me say thank u again. Your answer is a lot for me.
swe
9/10/09 9:39pm
HI: If you can find out if the cardiologist thinks the risk of surgery outweights the benifits of just following medical treat. You might also ask about his LV function. As I mentioned if the LV function is normal he might be better served with treatment with meds, since he doesn't have chest pain. Perhaps your doctor feels the weakened state is due to the CAD. If so then surgery might be the better option.
good luck
Dr. Kirk Laman
www.drlaman.com
1/13/10 11:46am
my mom is c71 years with leakinf aorta valve . could she staND AORTA REPLACEMENT
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Hi Dr.
Thanks you very much. :)
Actually he is very thin as his intake is not much. He said he lost his appetite. But i try to put as much as I can as i prepare his meals. He can walk up stairs but he has no exercises. He has no other physical limitations and no lung disease. He was a boxer. non smoker, non drinker and has no other diseases.
According to the diagram that Dr. showed,he is triple vesseled disease.
but he refused to do bypass surgery. how can i suggest him?