[Colonic surgery in the elderly. Comparative study with other age groups]

From 1980 to 1986, 569 patients with colonic disease underwent surgery in the General Surgery Service of "Nuestra Sra. de Aránzazu" Hospital, 131 of them over 75 and representing 23% of the total. In this group, neoplasms were the most common lesion, for a total of 108 cases (83.2%). Among nontumoral diseases, half corresponded to diverticula. Colonic surgery was practiced as an emergency in 35.87% of the cases and in 72.7% of the non-neoplastic lesions, with an overall operative mortality of 28 patients (21.37%). We analyze the distribution of the different lesions of the colon, the urgency of the operation and operative mortality as related to age, evaluating the limitations in elderly patients and their increased surgical risk.