The aging of the population and improvements in outcomes after cardiovascular surgery have resulted in a worldwide growing demand of complex surgical intervention for elderly patients. We briefly review the up-to-date English-language literature with particular focus on cardiovascular surgery in elderly patients. With earlier referral, careful preoperative evaluation, strategic planning, and the continuing efforts in optimizing surgical techniques, operative mortality and morbidity following primary or reoperative coronary artery bypass grafting and valvular interventions are expected to fall in this high-risk patient subset. Importantly,accumulating evidence indicates that elderly patients may benefit from improved functional status and quality of life after cardiovascular surgical therapy