Operations upon the aged

From the point of view of the surgeon, as repeatedly emphasized in the surgical literature, the mortality rate for operations upon old persons is only slightly higher for elective surgical operations than for the same operations on younger persons when proper preoperative and postoperative precautions are taken. However, the mortality rate for emergency operations is much higher in old persons than in younger ones. Many surgeons believe, therefore, that disease for which operation is otherwise indicated should be treated surgically irrespective of the age of the patient per se. The authors' experience with operations upon old persons at the San Francisco Hospital accords with these conclusions.