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Postoperative Complications

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Fractures in the Elderly

Part of the book series: Aging Medicine ((AGME))

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Abstract

Not long ago, old patients were frequently denied surgical intervention exclusively based on their age. However, as perioperative management improved significantly over the past decades, many elderly patients with multiple comorbidities have undergone surgical procedures, requiring specialized perioperative care. Contrary to the conventional thought that major complications or death occur intraoperatively, most adverse events arise postoperatively, particularly within the first 24 h, and morbidity and mortality rates are twice as high compared to the intraoperative period. In this chapter, we will discuss several common postoperative complications that present in the elderly.

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  1. Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3615 Chestnut Street, Ralston-Penn Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Jung-Hoon Kim

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  1. School of Medicine, Ralston-Penn Clinic for Osteoporosis &, University of Pennsylvania, 36th Street & Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, 19104-6160, Pennsylvania, USA

    Robert J. Pignolo

  2. Dept. Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Spruce St. 3400, Philadelphia, 19104, Pennsylvania, USA

    Mary Ann Keenan

  3. , Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Med, 51 N 39th Street, Philadelphia, 19104, USA

    Nader M. Hebela

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Kim, JH. (2011). Postoperative Complications. In: Pignolo, R., Keenan, M., Hebela, N. (eds) Fractures in the Elderly. Aging Medicine. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-467-8_8

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