Rehabilitation outcomes
The rehabilitation outcomes were compared between the groups to assess
their physical activities among the patients regaining ambulatory
autonomy at discharge (30 patients in the elderly group, and 37 patients
in the control group). Preoperative characteristics and operative
details in patients are presented in Supplemental Table 1 and
Supplemental Table 2. Rehabilitation outcomes in patients regaining
ambulatory autonomy at discharge are presented in Table 3. During
rehabilitation, it was likely that elderly patients took longer to walk
100 or 200 m postoperatively (P = 0.024 and P = 0.025,
respectively); although, there was no difference in postoperative
walking difficulty between the groups. Elderly patients required
significantly more speaking and swallowing therapy after surgery
(P = 0.043). However, the length of ICU stay and the total
hospitalization were not significantly different between the groups.
There was no difference in communicating dissection between the groups
postoperatively. Pre-rehabilitation sBP and dBP levels were 112.5 mmHg
(104.3–120) and 68 mmHg (61.5–74), respectively, in the elderly group
compared with 121.5 mmHg (110–130) and 72 mmHg (60–75), respectively,
in the control group. Post-rehabilitation sBP and dBP levels were 123
mmHg (112.3–133.3) and 75 mmHg (65.5–81.3), respectively, in the
elderly group compared with 121 mmHg (110–134.3) and 70 mmHg (59–80),
respectively, in the control group. There were no statistical
differences in pre-rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation blood pressure
levels between the groups. During the rehabilitation program,
antihypertensive drugs, including calcium blockers, ARB or ACE
inhibitors, and beta blockers, were prescribed to control blood
pressure. The ARB and ACE inhibitors were needed less significantly in
patients in the elderly group to control the blood pressure (P =
0.003), although the use of calcium blockers and beta blockers was not
significantly different between the groups. The combination of the
aforementioned three drugs was needed less significantly in patients in
the elderly group to control blood pressure (P = 0.004).
The prognostic value of patients’ ability to walk 200 m postoperatively
was evaluated using ROC analysis; the results showed that AUC as a
prognostic indicator for late mortality was 0.878 (95% confidence
interval [CI]: 0.722–1; P = 0.002), with the highest
accuracy at 30 days (sensitivity = 83.3%, specificity = 91.8%; Figure
2A). Evaluation of patient’s ability to walk 100 m postoperatively using
the ROC analysis as well, the AUC as a prognostic indicator for late
mortality was 0.878 (95% CI: 0.753–1; P = 0.002), with a the
highest accuracy at 20 days (sensitivity = 83.3%, specificity = 82%;
Figure 2B).