Pre-operative evaluation in geriatric patients

The population of the United States, as well as developing countries like India, is rapidly ageing. Surgical operations are more common in the elderly than in younger age groups. A comprehensive pre-operative evaluation of these elderly patients is an important component of improving perioperative outcomes. It is very different from the pre-operative assessment in younger patients, which usually encompasses evaluating cardiac risk for non-cardiac surgery and single end-organ functional assessment. Functional and cognitive impairment are additional risk factors associated with poorer outcomes in older patients. Guidelines for pre-operative assessment of elderly surgical patients have been developed by the American College of Surgeons and the American Geriatrics Society.