Factors Which Influence Mortality Following Operation on Patients over 65 Years of Age

Lee, Tae Ui

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is a continuing increase in geriatric population. Many workers have reported an increased mortality rate after operation on patients over 65 years of age. The aim of this study is to analyze and to measure the risk factors associated with geriatric surgery.
METHODS
We reviewed the medical records of 467 patients over 65 years of age who had been admitted and operated on in the department of General Surgery, Konkuk University Hospital, between January, 1993 and December, 1999. An analysis was done on age and sex distribution, duration of admission, type of anesthesia, duration of general anesthesia, number of benign and malignant disease, number of coexistent disease, number of emergency and elective operation, and then, we analyzed the above factors to know whether they influence mortality rate or not.
RESULTS
1) Overall operative mortality rate was 4.3%, and the factors influencing mortality rate were, malignant disease, coexisting disease, emergency operation and long duration of general anesthesia. 2) Old age in itself did not affect the mortality.
CONCLUSION
In order to reduce the operative mortality in geriatric surgery, careful preoperative evaluation and elective surgery rather than emergency operation must be done, and the operation chosen should be the one of less magnitude, not very radical operations to achieve permanent cures.