Long-term outcomes, including the survival rate and period to death, in patients over 80 years old after ruptured cerebral aneurysm clipping.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the long-term outcomes, including the survival rate, period to death, causes of death, and predictors of poor outcomes, in patients aged over 80 years who underwent surgical clipping for a ruptured anterior circulation aneurysm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, the medical records of patients from April 1, 1994, to June 30, 2019, were evaluated. All patients underwent surgical clipping within 72 h of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) onset. Information on the patient, SAH, and outcomes were collected. RESULTS: The mean hospitalization and long-term follow-up periods for all patients were 54.5 days and 53.3 months, respectively. The period to death was significantly shorter in patients with modified Rankin scale (mRS) of 4-5 than for those with an mRS of 0-3 at discharge (p=0.001). The Kaplan-Meier method using the log-rank test demonstrated that patients with an mRS of 4-5 at discharge had a significantly lower survival rate compared to those with an mRS of 0-3 at discharge (p<0.05). Univariate analysis revealed that the proportion of patients with Hunt and Hess grade and presence of surgical complications were significantly larger in the group with an mRS of 4-5 than in that with an mRS of 0-3 at discharge (p=0.0013 and 0.011, respectively). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that presence of surgical complications was the only independent predictor of poor outcomes (p=0.043, odds ratio [OR] 7.937, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.061-59.38). The Kaplan-Meier method using the log-rank test demonstrated that patients with surgical complications had a significantly lower survival rate compared to those with no surgical complications (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Especially in patients aged over 80 years, those with H-H grade 2 and a good clinical condition can be candidates for surgical clipping, whereas avoiding surgical complications is essential for achieving good outcomes.