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Question: 78 yr old woman with 4 blocked arteries
| chiisaii
- Wed May 23, 2007 12:59 pm |
my grandmother has been diagnosed with 4 blocked arteries. we were given these options: have her undergo bypass surgery, angioplasty surgery or conservative medication.
she doesn't have any other ailments, only that and her osteoporosis. we are afraid there may be complications if she undergoes surgery because she's 78 yrs old.
please help us decide what's better for her. conservative medication or surgery?
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| Dr. Chan Lowe
- Wed May 23, 2007 7:59 pm |
 This is a very difficult decision. When someone is generally healthy the general desire is to do everything possible since they seem as if they will continue to live a long life. In general, this is a very valid position.
As you mention, though, surgery at 78 is never a simple thing. A quadruple bypass is also a bit more risky than a single or double bypass.
I wish I were able to give you a simple yes or no answer but this really comes down to a personal decision between your family and your doctors. I would recommend that you talk with a cardiothoracic surgeon that will be doing the procedure and get their assessment of the risks as well as the benefits of the surgery. Also, I would recommend that you talk with the anesthesiologist about the risks of anesthesia. Talk with her primary doctor as well to see if there are any concerns about surgery from that perspective.
The more information you can get the better you'll be able to make an informed position.
Best wishes.
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