Abstract
Adults age 65 and over are the fastest growing segment of the population in the United States and around the world. As the size of this population expands, the number of older adults referred for surgical procedures will continue to increase. Due to the physiologic changes of aging and the increased frequency of comorbidities, older adults are at increased risk for adverse outcomes, and perioperative care is inherently more complex than in younger individuals. In this review, we discuss the physiologic changes of aging relevant to the surgical patient, comprehensive preoperative assessment, and postoperative management of common complications in older adults in order to promote optimal clinical outcomes both perioperatively and long‐term.
Highlights
Adults age 65 and older are the fastest growing segment of the population in the United States (US) and around the world
Older patients are at an increased risk for postoperative complications including delirium, falls, poor nutrition, urinary tract infections (UTIs) and other iatrogenic infections, pressure ulcers, and functional decline.[2]
Oral nutritional supplementation is recommended in older hospitalized patients to treat malnutrition and for those at risk of developing malnutrition, including frail patients, those with dementia, and patients following orthopedic surgery.[2]
Summary
Adults age 65 and older are the fastest growing segment of the population in the United States (US) and around the world. Age-associated declines in reserve capacity greatly diminish the older adult's ability to mount an effective stress response and increase the risk for perioperative complications, including death.
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