Perioperative Care for Older Adults Who Are Undergoing Inpatient Surgery

Background

Older adults undergo inpatient surgery at relatively high rates and have elevated risk for complications. In this “practice advisory,” the ASA provides recommendations for perioperative care of older adults (age, ≥65) who are undergoing inpatient surgery. It focuses on five questions and their study-supported answers, three of which relate to outpatient or hospitalist evaluations and management (the others deal with intraoperative anesthesia, i.e., neuraxial vs. general anesthesia, and total intravenous anesthesia vs. inhaled anesthesia).

Key Recommendations

• Preoperative evaluation for cognitive impairment and frailty (strength of evidence: low)

  • Consider preoperativ…