Frail and older (>60 yrs old) people do poorly after surgery

[agate]

That's encouraging news, ANN. I hope your mother will have an easy recovery. There are times when surgery has to be done.

[Virginia]

I am truly considering cataract surgery. Don’t want it, but reading is so important to me, and its getting more difficult. I now put myself in the frail category. I would not have said that probably a year ago.

I wish I had had it a couple of years ago when I was a little stronger. Not always best to put things off.

Overall I do agree with the article, but people vary so much in what their bodies are able to go through. One 75 year old might differ greatly from another 75 year old.

[agate]

I've heard many people say there's nothing to the cataract surgery now. You probably need to make at least 4 trips to the ophthalmologist, maybe more, because they do each eye separately, and you go back for at least one follow-up visit.

I've known of eye doctors who ran a special van for taking their cataract patients back and forth. Maybe it was because they weren't very good at the cataract surgery and were hurting for patients, and so they offered some inducements. I don't know.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

Of all of the many types of surgery we may face in our "senior years," I think cataract surgery is probably the safest. There are many appointments associated with the surgery. When Jim had his cataract surgery about 5 years ago, he had to have a physical by our PCP first. He needs his other eye done, but now, he is too frail with cancer to do it.

In 1990, my dad, at the age of 69, had lung cancer surgery to remove, what I believe to have been, a mesothelioma tumor. The surgery was performed in a very small town hospital by a very incompetent surgeon. Nonetheless, he survived. The day after he was released, he died of a heart attack. The day after his death, a study was published that men 69 years and over had a 90% chance of having a heart attack after a non-heart related surgery.

My dad was at risk and wasn't given a proper cardio workup prior to surgery. He also foolishly drove 35 miles to/from a restaurant to have BBQ ribs the night before his heart attack, so he may have contributed to his ultimate outcome.

I wasn't able to read the article, because I am not registered with the NY Times. But I suspect that the mortality rate with elders after surgery could be related to the competency of the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, and the after care provided. Medicare is very quick to release patients from the hospital, sometimes to an acute care facility, which we've found to be severely lacking in appropriate surgery or serious illness recovery care.

I also believe that older patients are prescribed far too many medications and that contributes to frailty and the risk of post-surgical infections and complications.

We have to be on top of everything that is happening to us and being done to us. That can be a daunting task, when we are ill, suffering or unable to process the information, which is why it's important for us to have an advocate (relative or friend) to help us through any kind of surgery or health issue.

Love & Light,



Rose

[Lazarus]

Having a wife like he does makes a big difference. But I'm alone save for one cat, and have made all the preparations for my death. I've had a good life, and am ready to see what's next.

That’s the way I think about death also....and I worry that some hospital will supersede my instructions ....my mom had all the forms and papers but was rushed to a hospital that was not where her doctor was and everything went haywire even though she had DNR forms. It was a mess. I might tattoo DNR form on my body someday.

[Sunshine]

I am truly considering cataract surgery. Don’t want it, but reading is so important to me, and its getting more difficult. I now put myself in the frail category. I would not have said that probably a year ago.

I wish I had had it a couple of years ago when I was a little stronger. Not always best to put things off.

Overall I do agree with the article, but people vary so much in what their bodies are able to go through. One 75 year old might differ greatly from another 75 year old.

Cataract surgery is a walk in the park if it’s done by a competent ophthalmologist. Competent being the keyword...The hardest part is finding the rides.

[Virginia]

I know cataract surgery is supposed to be easy surgery, but my Ophthalmologist has told me several times that he stopped doing that surgery because of this very thing. He said his patients kept telling him how safe it was. He says it is for 98 percent of the people, but if you happen to be in the other 2 percent, that is another story. So, I have to go to someone he would recommend, since he no longer will do this surgery.

[funnylegs4]

I know cataract surgery is supposed to be easy surgery, but my Ophthalmologist has told me several times that he stopped doing that surgery because of this very thing. He said his patients kept telling him how safe it was. He says it is for 98 percent of the people, but if you happen to be in the other 2 percent, that is another story. So, I have to go to someone he would recommend, since he no longer will do this surgery.

Any surgery has risk. Even the most simple one.

[Virginia]

Yes, Funnylegs that is my point.