Does a preoperative diagnosis of ADRD increase the risk of poor postoperative outcomes and higher healthcare expenditures in older patients undergoing major surgery?
A preoperative diagnosis of dementia is associated with worse surgical outcomes and higher costs, emphasizing the need for careful shared decision-making in this vulnerable population.
Preoperative diagnosis of ADRD was an independent risk factor for poor postoperative outcomes, discharge to non-home settings, as well as higher healthcare expenditures. These data should serve to inform discussions and decision-making about surgery among the growing number of older patients with cognitive deficits.
Khalil et al. (Mon,) studied this question.