1-year mortality after major surgery in older adults

Editor's Note

In this study, researchers from Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, find that mortality after major surgery is elevated in older adults who are frail or who have probable dementia.

A total of 1,193 major surgical procedures in 992 Medicare beneficiaries were analyzed.

Among the findings:

• Overall, 1-year mortality was 13.4% (206 deaths).
• Mortality rates were 7.4% for elective surgical procedures and 22.3% for nonelective procedures.
• 1-year mortality was 6.0% for nonfrail patients and 27.8% for frail patients.
• 1-year mortality was 11.6% for patients without dementia and 32.7% for patients with probable dementia.

The findings suggest substantial differences in 1-yer mortality after major surgical procedures across distinct subgroups of older patients and highlight the potential prognostic value of conditions such as frailty and dementia, the authors say.