台灣人的平均壽命(民國八十八年為75.6歲 ; 男性72.46歲，女性78歲)，每年以穩定的成長率增加。民國八十八年高齡人口(65歲以上)佔台灣全人口比率的8.44%，已進入聯合國規定高齡化社會(門檻7.0%)。台灣在民國八十七年人口登記中，八十歲以上的人口有265,847人，而且有逐年增加的趨勢，從更多的老年人接受冠狀動脈繞道手術更可看出此一事實所牽涉的醫療倫理問題，相當複雜;因為八十歲以上老年人接受冠狀動脈繞道手術後，很可能成為我們社會的一大負擔，而且也會消耗不少珍貴的醫療資源。然而從多篇文獻的探討，發現經嚴格挑選過患有冠狀動脈心臟病的八十歲以上老年人，接受冠狀動脈繞道手術後長期成效，顯示八十歲以上患有冠狀動脈心臟病的老年人，不但能耐受心臟大手術的考驗，而且70%到80%的病人症狀能改善並能增加生活品質。八十歲以上老年人接受冠狀動脈繞道手術後一年、三年及五年的存活率，分別為87%、78%和62%。這種顯著的效果，對健保給付成本效益政策提供了不少爭論資訊。只要身體的其他起器官沒有老化或生病而影響存活，年齡並非八十歲以上老年人接受冠狀動脈繞道手術的絕對禁忌。
Life expectancy in Taiwan has been increasing steadily. The average Taiwanese who reaches age 65 (8.44% off the total 1999 population) is now expected to live into his or her eighth decade. At the end 1998 the 80-and-over population was 265,847 and is projected to steadily increase. These demographic changes are affecting present-day cardiac surgical practice as an increasing number of highly symptomatic elderly patients are requiring coronary artery bypass surgery. The medical and ethical issues involved are complex. A concern has been raised that this population age-80-and-over has the potential to become a burden to society and exhaust collective resources. A review of the long-term results of coronary artery bypass surgery in octogenarians indicates, however, considerable benefits of surgery. Patients attain both improved functional benefit and quality of life after the rigor of heart surgery. In addition, actuarial survival rates for coronary artery bypass at 1-years, 3-years and 5-years are around 87%, 78% and 62%, respectively. These favorable results of coronary artery bypass surgery in octogenarians could add significant information to the healthcare costs benefit debate. Less favorable results occur in cases where physiologic age is advanced by disease of other organ system. However, taken independently, advanced age is not a contraindication to coronary artery bypass surgery.
