title: Impact of age on the short-term postoperative outcome of patients undergoing surgery for colorectal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patient age has a decisive impact on the short-term postoperative results in surgery for carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective multicenter study involved 75 German hospitals and 3756 patients undergoing treatment in 1999: 1447 aged under 65 years, 1847 aged 65-79 years, and 458 aged over 80 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the oldest patient group, there was a significantly higher proportion of extensive, localized tumors (UICC stage II: 25.9%, 28.4%, and 36.1%, respectively) and significant differences were found among the three groups in operation rates (98.8%, 98.6%, and 96.5%), resection rate (94.2%, 93.2%, and 83.9%), general postoperative complications (21.5%, 28.6%, and 41.2%), morbidity (36.5%, 42.6%, and 50.0%) and mortality (2.7%, 6.6%, and 11.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the elderly, locally advanced tumors, but not metastasizing tumors, are to be expected. The increase in postoperative morbidity and mortality rates with increasing age was due to the increase in general postoperative complications. Surgery for colorectal carcinoma in patients of advanced age is not associated with any increase in intraoperative or specific postoperative complications.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Quality Management in Operative Medicine, Department of Surgery, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany. frank.marusch@medizin.uni-magdeburg.de
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marusch
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zippel
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gastmeier
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geissler
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pross
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gastinger
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lippert
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003082:Colectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome