Long-term outcomes in elderly surgical patients.

Abstract

Anesthesia has developed to the point where long-term outcomes are important endpoints. Elderly patients are becoming an increasingly large part of most surgical practices, consistent with demographic shifts. Long-term outcomes are particularly important for this group. In this review, we discuss functional outcomes in the elderly. We describe the areas of cognitive change and frailty, both of which are specific to the elderly. We also discuss prevention of surgical infections and emerging evidence around hemodynamic alterations in the operating room and their impact on long-term outcomes.