Ethical issues in geriatric cranial neurosurgery

Abstract

The global demographic shift to an older population has led to the emergence of the new field of geriatric neurosurgery. Beyond the complexities of disease states and multimorbidity, advanced age brings with it intricate ethical issues pertaining to both the practice and provision of medical and surgical care. In this paper, the authors describe the central ethical themes seen across the spectrum of common neurosurgical conditions in the elderly and highlight the use of foundational ethical principles to help guide treatment decision-making.