title: Colorectal surgery in octogenarians.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elderly patients are often viewed as high-risk surgical candidates. Recent reports, however, have recommended applying the standard surgical approach to this group. Many of these series report mortality rates that are substantially higher than those in the younger population. Therefore, the applicability of these procedures for the elderly may be questionable.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively studied 140 patients older than 80 years who underwent colorectal surgery at our institution between January 1990 and January 1995. Of these, 123 underwent colon or rectal resections and 17 had diverting colostomy only. Ninety-seven (79 percent) of the colorectal resections were for carcinoma. In this study, perioperative care, operative results, and survival are analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Elective and emergent colorectal resections totaled 80.5 and 19.5 percent, respectively. The mortality rate for elective resections was 3 percent and for emergency resections it was 21 percent. Postoperative morbidity was 27 percent and the average hospital stay was 13.1 days. Diverting colostomy was associated with a 24 percent mortality rate. The survival rate after colorectal resections for one, two, and five years was 85, 72, and 40 percent, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results support the view that elective colorectal resection in the elderly population is worthwhile and should be performed for the same indications as in younger patients. Although emergent operations were associated with a poor outcome, the majority of the patients survived and left the hospital.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Spivak
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Maele
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nussbaum
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003082:Colectomy / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003106:Colon / Q000601:surgery*; D003125:Colostomy / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D012007:Rectum / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate