Q: I am a 75 years old diabetic and have been operated for colon cancer 11 years back. Can twin surgery of valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) be done by the same surgeon? Also if yes, then can the surgery be off pump? What are the risks involved?

A:The twin surgery of valve replacement and CABG are performed by the same surgeon. However, valve replacement surgery cannot be performed off pump, as it is an open heart procedure. Its very difficult to talk of risk in a patient without direct access to the patient and detailed evaluation. Besides the age, its also important to know the function of the heart, the state of the other organs of the body like the lungs and the kidneys and more importantly, it is not the chronological age of the patient which decides the risk but the biological age. I think for such specific questions, you must consult your treating cardiologist, who can give a more definitive answer. A gut feeling answer to your question could be a risk of anything between 5-10%.