Key result
Elective surgery is associated with persistent cognitive decline in only ~1% of older patients postoperatively.
Why the study?
Does elective surgery precipitate cognitive decline over the postoperative year in patients age 60 and over?
Cohort (n=251)
Does elective surgery precipitate cognitive decline over the postoperative year in patients age 60 and over?
Elective surgery is rarely the primary precipitating factor for persistent cognitive decline in older adults, with depression and acute illness acting as significant confounders.
Elective surgery rarely precipitates persistent cognitive decline in older adults; leaves open confounding by depression and acute illness in observational data.
The authors studied patients age 60 and over to assess the effect of elective surgery as a precipitating factor for cognitive decline over the postoperative year. They found an association between change in test performance and age, physical disability, and number of depressive symptoms. However, persistent decline in Mini-Mental State Exam scores was associated with identifiable factors related to the initial surgery in only 3/ 251 (1 percent of cases). Depression and new onset of acute illness were confounding factors in the assessment of cognitive decline.
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Stockton et al. (2000) conducted a cohort in Elective surgery (n=251). Elective surgery was evaluated on Persistent decline in Mini-Mental State Exam scores associated with identifiable factors related to the initial surgery. Elective surgery was associated with persistent decline in Mini-Mental State Exam scores related to the initial surgery in only 1% (3/251) of older patients over the postoperative year.
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