Abstract
As life expectancy increases in economically developed countries, there is an increasing need for medical care for the elderly. In surgical fields, this means that the number and spectrum of surgical interventions in elderly patients is increasing.
Because of this special attention should be paid to the preoperative evaluation in these patients. Communication with the patient and relatives is crucial in order to decide on the extent of the surgical intervention and whether to treat these patients with curative or palliative intent.
It is imperative that physicians understand the physiology of aging and its associated risks, as traditional perioperative risk assessment tools are insufficient in this patient group.