Geriatric trauma and emergency general surgery

Trauma and general surgery in the elderly has evolved from simple reports of postoperative complications to the impact of comorbidities on postoperative outcomes and recently to the novel concepts of frailty as a part of geriatric syndromes. Elderly patients differ significantly from their younger counterparts as they have a greater number of preexisting comorbidities, a greater risk of complications, and an increased rate of mortality. Even within elderly patients there are differences which are not due to age alone. These findings suggest that elderly patients are in need for a specific approach and management guidelines. Thus, surgeons have to first better identify and then adapt specific treatment strategies in order to decrease potential adverse effect and improve the care that they provide for their older patients.