Preoperative evaluation and surgical counselling in the elderly

The elderly are the largest segment of patients undergoing spine surgery and are expected to continue to grow with time. Proper preoperative evaluation of the elderly is something every spine surgeon will need to be adept at. Evaluating and optimizing an elderly patient leads to greater patient satisfaction, decreased postoperative complications and overall mortality. Age, while traditionally thought to predict preoperative risk, has consistently been a poor predictor of complications in spine patients. The concept of frailty and various related clinical tools have been developed and consistently validated to predict a given patient's capacity to successfully undergo surgery.

Duke Scholars

Author Peter Passias Orthopaedic Surgery