[Preoperative conditioning in ageing patients-gerontosurgery]

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Surgical Care
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Societal aging presents significant challenges for daily hospital routines and surgical practices.
• Older patients have unique physiological considerations, including metabolic changes and comorbidities, impacting surgical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the critical factors for adapting surgical care to an aging patient demographic.
• To emphasize the need for age-specific surgical strategies and optimized hospital infrastructure.

Main Methods:

• Review of key considerations for surgical outcomes in aging patients.
• Analysis of factors including preoperative conditioning, surgical strategies, and hospital organization.
• Discussion of nutritional, cognitive, and delirium prevention protocols.

Main Results:

• Preoperative conditioning, age-adapted surgical strategies, and hospital infrastructure are vital for aging patients.
• Metabolic changes and comorbidities in older adults require multidisciplinary attention.
• Lack of a clear definition for biological age and adapted complication scores hinder resilient surveys.

Conclusions:

• Adapting surgical treatments for older patients is a complex, ongoing challenge.
• Implementing necessary structural changes requires addressing reimbursement for geriatric medicine.
• Multifaceted approaches encompassing patient conditioning, tailored surgical techniques, and supportive hospital environments are essential.