According to a study published in NCBI, India has experienced significant advancements in cardiac surgery over the past 20 years, with 50 heart transplants, 12,000 coronary angioplasty procedures, and 25,000 coronary bypass surgeries performed in 2016. There is an immense growth in understanding that the potential treatments are growing along with the prevalence of heart diseases. 

When it comes to any major illness or surgery such as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), there is a tremendous strain on the body’s resources. In elderly patients, recovery time may vary between 3-4 weeks and this is one of the main reasons doctors recommend avoiding heart surgeries on them. Here, nutrition plays a very important part in their postoperative recovery and is the key to faster recoveries. With age, people often tend to lose appetite and therefore the nutritional need is not fulfilled.

Our body stores are just enough for our daily needs. With Robotic or Minimal access cardiac surgery, strains can be reduced and the recovery time can be rapid making this an appropriate approach for cardiac surgery in the elderly age group. The key purpose of this is to ensure a well-planned and smoothly executed surgery with minimal tissue trauma and blood loss resulting in faster and easy recovery.  

Nowadays, more elderly people seek heart surgery due to the longer average life expectancy and increasing incidence of cardiovascular illness with aging. A growing number of older individuals can now be operated safely and with positive results because of improvements in pre- and postoperative care.

In India, post-operative care and remote monitoring services are growing. Earlier, performing surgeries in the older population was not encouraged however, now octogenarians can opt for heart surgery due to the development of newer technology, better medication, and modern procedures like minimally Invasive cardiac surgery and Robotic cardiac surgery. Prior to the breakthroughs, surgeries on elderly patients were perceived in India as dangerous, stressful, and highly risky. 

But in the current scenario, due to the advanced technology, medicines and skilled medical experts, performing a complex surgery on an octogenarian has become possible. The basic criteria for performing cardiac surgeries in elderly is to give them a good quality of life and to increase their life expectancy. Any elderly person who is capable of taking care of his or her daily needs is a good candidate and should be offered surgery. Most patients want to know non-risky alternatives for cardiac surgery.  

Preparation is necessary both before and after cardiac surgery because it is frequently invasive. For a proper recovery and speedy healing, post-operative care is of utmost priority. Robotics and MICS approaches have made cardiac surgery safe and less traumatic.

So, the entire range of cardiac surgery can be done safely in all age groups, especially the elderly. The results are consistent, good and give them back their quality of life. These procedures have immensely revolutionized cardiac surgery in the elderly population making surgery less painful, recovery fast and giving them the quality of life they deserve.