Postoperative cognitive dysfunction after major noncardiac surgery is associated with increased 1-year mortality, with long-term cognitive issues predominantly affecting patients aged 60 and older.
Cognitive dysfunction is common in adult patients of all ages at hospital discharge after major noncardiac surgery, but only the elderly (aged 60 yr or older) are at significant risk for long-term cognitive problems. Patients with POCD are at an increased risk of death in the first year after surgery.
Monk et al. (Tue,) studied this question.