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[Acute surgical pathology in elderly patients].
Lidia Andriescu1, Emilia Patraşcanu, R Dănilă
1Universitatea de Medicină si Farmacie Gr.T. Popa Iaşi, Facultatea de Medicină Clinica a III-a Chirurgie.
Summary
Elderly patients over 75 face increasing surgical pathology. Co-morbidities significantly impact outcomes, with high mortality rates in acute geriatric surgical cases.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Surgery
- Surgical Pathology
- Demographic Aging
Context:
- The global increase in life expectancy leads to a higher prevalence of surgical conditions in the elderly.
- Geriatric surgical pathology presents unique challenges due to age-related physiological changes and increased co-morbidities.
Purpose:
- To investigate the characteristics of surgical pathology in patients over 75 years old.
- To evaluate the influence of co-morbidities on surgical outcomes in the geriatric population.
Summary:
- A retrospective study analyzed 401 patients aged over 75. Of 132 acute cases, 94 underwent surgery. Benign conditions were most common (78 cases). Immediate surgeries included complicated hernias and perforated ulcers; delayed surgeries addressed conditions like acute cholecystitis and gastric cancer.
- Cardiovascular disease was the most frequent co-morbidity. The overall hospital mortality rate was 32.9%, primarily linked to mesenteric infarction, peritonitis, and delayed emergency surgeries for complex cancers. Postoperative deaths were mainly due to cardiac failure, sepsis, and multiple organ failure.
Impact:
- This study highlights the critical need for specialized geriatric surgical care.
- Understanding co-morbidity impact is crucial for improving surgical outcomes and reducing mortality in elderly patients.
- Findings inform clinical decision-making for managing acute and elective surgical conditions in the aged population.