Elective surgery transformation

Patients aged over 60 years are more likely than younger people to develop complications following surgery.¹ With each additional decade of life, postoperative morbidity, mortality and length of in-hospital stay (LOS) increase.² Comanagement between surgeons, anaesthetists and geriatricians is increasingly recognised to improve postoperative outcomes.³ Collaborative perioperative services using comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) methodology have demonstrated fewer postoperative complications in patients undergoing orthopaedic,⁴ vascular⁵ and general surgical procedures.⁶ These observed improvements with consequent shorter LOS may provide a cost-effective approach to delivering services for older surgical patients.