Cognitive, Functional and Psychological Condition Affect Surgery Risk in Older Patients

Specific health measures – such as function, cognition and psychological well-being – should be incorporated into the assessment of whether major surgery is suitable for older adults, especially if the mortality risk after surgery outweighs the benefits, according to a new study by researchers at UC San Francisco.

In a review of nearly 1,350 U.S. patients age 66 and older, almost 1-in-5 of those who had major surgery died within a year. Factors such as dementia and lost ability to perform activities of daily living were significantly associated with mortality, the researchers said.