Abstract
BackgroundElective surgeries can be associated with significant harm to older adults. The present study aimed to identify the prognostic factors associated with the development of postoperative complications among older adults undergoing elective surgery.MethodsMedline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and AgeLine were searched for articles published between inception and April 21, 2016. Prospective studies reporting prognostic factors associated with postoperative complications (composite outcome of medical and surgical complications), functional decline, mortality, post-hospitalization discharge destination, and prolonged hospitalization among older adults undergoing elective surgery were included. Study characteristics and prognostic factors associated with the outcomes of interest were extracted independently by two reviewers. Random effects meta-analysis models were used to derive pooled effect estimates for prognostic factors and incidences of adverse outcomes.ResultsOf the 5692 titles and abstracts that were screened for inclusion, 44 studies (12,281 patients) reported on the following adverse postoperative outcomes: postoperative complications (n =28), postoperative mortality (n = 11), length of hospitalization (n = 21), functional decline (n = 6), and destination at discharge from hospital (n = 13). The pooled incidence of postoperative complications was 25.17% (95% confidence interval (CI) 18.03–33.98%, number needed to follow = 4). The geriatric syndromes of frailty (odds ratio (OR) 2.16, 95% CI 1.29–3.62) and cognitive impairment (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.44–2.81) were associated with developing postoperative complications; however, there was no association with traditionally assessed prognostic factors such as age (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.00–1.14) or American Society of Anesthesiologists status (OR 2.62, 95% CI 0.78–8.79). Besides frailty, other potentially modifiable prognostic factors, including depressive symptoms (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.22–2.56) and smoking (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.32–4.46), were also associated with developing postoperative complications.ConclusionGeriatric syndromes are important prognostic factors for postoperative complications. We identified potentially modifiable prognostic factors (e.g., frailty, depressive symptoms, and smoking) associated with developing postoperative complications that can be targeted preoperatively to optimize care.
Highlights
Elective surgeries can be associated with significant harm to older adults
The prognostic factors most strongly associated with the development of postoperative complications were poor performance status as defined by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score or the Karnofsky Index, smoking status, impairment in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), frailty, and cognitive impairment (Table 1, Additional file 2: Appendix 7)
In summary, this systematic review and meta-analysis highlights how common postoperative complications are among older adults undergoing elective surgery (NNF = 4) and the importance of geriatric syndromes in identifying older adults at risk of harm
Summary
The present study aimed to identify the prognostic factors associated with the development of postoperative complications among older adults undergoing elective surgery. Special preoperative consideration must be given to the greater prevalence of geriatric syndromes faced by older adults, such as frailty and functional impairment, that potentially increase their risk of adverse postoperative outcomes [6, 7]. This systematic review synthesizes studies that identify preoperative prognostic factors of older adults undergoing elective surgery which may predispose them to adverse postoperative outcomes. This information can be used by clinicians and patients to enhance decision-making and management in the preoperative setting and by researchers to study possible interventions aimed at improving postoperative outcomes for older adults
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