“My grandfather is 87 years old and has suffered a heart attack. What should we do?”
My grand father is about 87 years old and he recently suffered a heart attack. Given his age, what are the best possible treatment options for him?
6 Answers
Complete cardiac evaluation.
Walk with assistance, diet, be supportive
Juan P. Montoya
Cardiothoracic Surgeon
At 87 years old, there are several options, usually 3 of them. He can be managed with medications (medical management), the cardiologist can put stents in his heart to open up the blockages, or he can have open heart surgery. It is hard to put an 87-year-old patient through surgery as the recovery is harder on the older population. Having said that, if he is an active 87-year-old that is a good candidate, surgery would be the best option.
He should see a cardiologist who will asses his heart function and evidence of CAD. A cardiologist will also asses his risk factors and develop a treatment plan for him.
The treatment of choice for your grandfather depends on many factors, if he is relatively healthy more aggressive treatment such as stent placement in the heart arteries or even bypass surgery could be considered, otherwise more conservative treatment with medication would be reasonable. I hope that this has answered your question.
He needs to see a cardiologist for possible cardiac catheterization and stenting.
