Objective To analyze the mortality in the aged patients with hip fractures who have been treated by operations. Methods We collected the clinical data of 349 aged patients (60 to 98 years old) with hip fracture who had been treated by operations from March 1999 to January 2008 in our hospital. Their overall mortality and one-year mortality were analyzed to find the causes for death. Results Thirty-one cases died and the overall mortality was 8.9% (31/349). Nineteen patients died within one year and the one-year mortality was 5.4% (19/349). Three patients died in hospital after surgery, 28 patients died in the follow-up period. Cardiac event, pulmonary dysfunction, cancer, cerebral vascular disease, hepatic cirrhosis, multiple organs dysfunction and infection were sequentially the major causes for death. Statistical results showed the factors which had definitely influenced the mortality were age and sex. Patients treated with proximal femoral nail anti-rotation (PFNA) had the lower mortality than with proximal femoral nail (PFN). Conclusions Operations can lead to a low mortality for aged patients with hip fractures. Ad-equate preparation and mini-invasive surgery can reduce the mortality.