Key result
Comprehensive or tailored preoperative geriatric assessments addressing cognition, frailty, and other domains are highly recommended to optimize care for older surgical patients.
A tailored preoperative geriatric assessment is highly recommended to address the unique needs of older surgical patients and proactively involve a multidisciplinary care team.
May inform perioperative planning for older adults; leaves open validation via prospective randomized trials.
As the number of surgical procedures performed on geriatric patients continues to grow, it is essential to realize the unique needs of the older surgical population. With this in mind best practice guidelines were developed by leaders in the field of geriatric surgery. These best practice guidelines, “Optimal Preoperative Assessment of the Geriatric Surgical Patient,” are a comprehensive assessment addressing domains likely to impact older surgical candidates. Examples of these domains include: cognition, pre-operative physical baseline, social support, functionality, nutrition, frailty, and polypharmacy. While such a comprehensive “geriatric screening” may not always be practical, a more limited geriatric tailored preoperative assessment is still highly recommended. It allows the surgical team to proactively involve a nutritionist, physical or occupational therapist, social worker and other vital members of the postoperative care team.
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JoAnn Coleman (2015) conducted a review in Geriatric surgical patients. Preoperative geriatric assessment was evaluated. Comprehensive or tailored preoperative geriatric assessments addressing cognition, frailty, and other domains are highly recommended to optimize care for older surgical patients.
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