Perioperative care of the geriatric urology patient

Abstract

Approximately half of all urologic surgeries in the United States are performed in patients 65 years of age or older [1]. It is also estimated that by the year 2030, 20% of the United States population will be greater than 75 years old [2]. With the increasing elderly population worldwide, the proportion of patients in this age group presenting for surgery on an annual basis will certainly increase. With proper patient selection, careful planning, and optimal perioperative management, surgery can be safely performed in elderly patients with comparable risk to younger individuals [3]. Although there has been significant improvement over the last few decades in surgical technology and anesthesia delivery, the elderly continue to represent a unique and challenging population of surgical patients.