Abstract

It is increasingly recognised that perioperative complications in the elderly population are associated with an increased length of hospital stay and an increased rate of morbidity and mortality. This has led to the development and implementation of proactive perioperative geriatric services aimed at preoperative optimisation, anticipation of possible complications and early perioperative intervention. In this review, we will discuss the impact of nonsurgical complications on perioperative outcome in the elderly population, as well as the evidence for perioperative geriatric services and its resource allocation.

Abbreviations: MI: Myocardial Infarction; SIRS: Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome; CNS: Central Nervous System; POD: Postoperative Cognitive Decline; AKI: Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury; CGA: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment; NCEPOD: National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death; AAGBI: Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland; POPS: Proactive Care of Older People Undergoing Surgery; HDU: High Dependency Units