How does your age or sex affect open heart surgery?

Risk factors: Increased age and female sex are associated with increased risk of heart surgery. The society of thoracic surgeons has a risk prediction tool that allows prediction of surgical risk prior to surgery. Age and sex are both part of the formula. The risk prediction tool can be viewed on the website for the society.

Age only: In general males and females have almost the same results after cardiac surgery. Women have a slightly worse outcome given that they present later in their disease process. Older patients generally have more comorbidities and hence are at higher risk for cardiac surgery.