Cognitive dysfunction after surgery and anaesthesia: what can we tell the grandparents?

‘Grandpa was never the same after his operation!’. This statement describes a myriad of possible clinical difficulties that can afflict older people after hospitalisation for major surgery. We summarise the evidence pertaining to the phenomenon of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction, a condition def...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Age and ageing 2009-03, Vol.38 (2), p.147-150
Main Authors: Seymour, D. Gwyn, Severn, Andrew M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aging
Anaesthesia
Anesthesia
Anesthesia - adverse effects
Anesthesia - statistics & numerical data
Cognition disorders
Cognition Disorders - epidemiology
Cognition Disorders - etiology
cognitive
Cognitive disorders
Cognitive functioning
Complications
Complications and side effects
Dementia
Demographic aspects
dysfunction
Elderly
Elective Surgical Procedures - adverse effects
Elective Surgical Procedures - statistics & numerical data
Gerontology
Health aspects
Humans
Incidence
Neuropsychology
Older people
Postoperative complications
Postoperative Complications - epidemiology
Risk Factors
Surgery
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Summary:‘Grandpa was never the same after his operation!’. This statement describes a myriad of possible clinical difficulties that can afflict older people after hospitalisation for major surgery. We summarise the evidence pertaining to the phenomenon of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction, a condition defined as an abnomality on neuropsychological testing, which is said to afflict up to 14% of over 70 years olds undergoing elective surgery. So far none of the expected surgical, anaesthetic and environmental risk factors have been convincingly demonstrated to be reponsible for this observed deterioration. While recognising the high incidence of the condition as an neuropsychological entity we accept that it is difficult to translate this into a reliable estimate of clinical risk for the individual patient.
ISSN:0002-0729
1468-2834
DOI:10.1093/ageing/afn289