Anesthesia in the geriatric patient

Geriatric anesthesia, or anesthesia in the aged, is no different from anesthesia in younger patients, except that it takes less and lasts longer. Both the anesthesiologist and the surgeon must treat the aged patient with care and gentleness. We must be ever aware that each vital system can be irreparably damaged by our slightest inattention to minute detail. Dr. Harold Griffith once said, "The straw which breaks the camel's back may be a very small one when the camel is nearing the end of its journey."