Perioperative Care of the Elderly Patient

Older patients carry some of the highest risks of suffering an adverse event or death following anesthesia and surgery. They are inherently vulnerable, presenting with numerous comorbidities and reduced physiological reserve, requiring gero-centric perioperative care for everything from routine eye surgery to major cardiac surgeries. Dementia, frailty, and the need for palliative care and pain management for the orthopedic patient are important areas requiring special consideration in this group. This book provides a general overview of these topics for those healthcare providers who may not have extensive knowledge of this patient population, while at the same time offering practical tips for the more experienced clinician. Chapters cover the spectrum of perioperative care including preoperative management of comorbid conditions, intraoperative anesthetic management, postoperative pain control, and a primer on advanced directive discussions. This book is appropriate not only for anesthesiologists but for any perioperative physician caring for the older patient.