Aging and surgery

Among other things, current science and civilization have enabled us to live longer than ever before. This, in turn, has resulted in a greater proportion of elderly people (aged > or = 65). In Croatia, elderly people accounted for 6.2% of the general population in 1971, and 11.6% in 1991. The greater proportion of the elderly results in increased demands placed upon the health care system, including surgical treatment. Due to the advances in medicine and medical technology, old age itself is not a contraindication for surgical treatment anymore. However, elderly people are more vulnerable to surgical trauma, thus being exposed to a higher surgical risk than young patients. Surgical risk is additionally increased by concomitant diseases typical for old age. Therefore, surgical treatment in the elderly requires strict indications. During the 1993-1998 period, 585 elective and 286 emergency operations in elderly patients were performed at the General Hospital in Zabok. In patients under the age of 65, postoperative mortality was 1.7% after elective and 4.5% after emergency procedures, while in elderly patients the respective figures were 5.6% and 12.0%. This clearly indicates the high level of surgical risk in elderly patients requiring emergency operations.