ABSTRACT
Unfortunately, many studies of revascularization for symptomatic CAD in the past have either excluded patients over the age of 70-75 or have included insufficient numbers to draw effective conclusions (9). This is possibly due to more frequent and more severe medical comorbidities, frailty, and poorer success rates leading to higher complication/ death rates in the elderly, both with PCI (4,8,10,11) (Fig. 13.2) as well as with coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) (12). These factors make the decision to perform coronary revascularization challenging. However, the elderly also have more extensive CAD (11) and ischemic burden, and therefore may derive great benefit from revascularization. With the rapid evolution of PCI techniques, one must continually reevaluate PCI’s applicability in the setting of older, sicker patients so as to better advise its relative benefit versus alternative treatment strategies.
