[The significance of morbidity and mortality in geriatric surgery]

The authors evaluated the surgical morbidity, early and late mortality of 485 operated patients above the age of 70 years. In general surgical practice operations of the gallbladder, biliary pathways and pancreas predominate, followed by oncosurgical operations and affections of the blood vessels of the lower extremities, mostly in the stage of septic complications. Acute surgery predominates, in 84% operations with urgent indications. During hospitalization 7.8% of the operated patients died and 9.16% of the hospitalized ones. The authors evaluated separately a group of 78 patients who died after they were discharged. Within three months after the operation 49% died and 92% of those who died, died within one year after operation. For these reasons the authors consider the following aspects most important in gerontosurgical practice: 1. to reduce the disproportion between acute and elective operations in favour of planned operations, in particular in abdominal surgery 2. to extend perioperative care in this age group to the fourth stage of postoperative disease, for at least three months, by providing protracted interdisciplinary socio-medical care.