Perioperative Care in Geriatrics Tomas L. Griebling, MD, FACS,
FGSA Department of Urology The Landon Center on Aging
Slide 2
Surgical Care in Older Adults Conditions which can be treated
surgically are common in older adults Surgery may be a good
treatment option for some geriatric patients Misconception that
surgery is too dangerous for older adults Patients and families
Professionals
Slide 3
Surgical Care in Older Adults Careful perioperative evaluation
and management can help reduce both morbidity and mortality
Increased attention and research related to surgical care in older
adults Cross-disciplinary principles Interaction between surgical
and non- surgical specialties is critical in this process
Slide 4
ACOVE Surgical Indicators Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders
Quality indicators designed to examine delivery of care and help
improve clinical outcomes Measures regarding surgical care included
in ACOVE-III Evidence-based design J Am Geriatr Soc 55: s347-s358,
2007
Slide 5
ACOVE Surgical Indicators Organized by timing of service
Preoperative Perioperative Postoperative Spectrum of care is
important Consider and begin planning all aspects of care
preoperatively
Slide 6
Preoperative Care Capacity to Consent Discussion of Goals of
Care Pulmonary Evaluation Cardiovascular Evaluation Diabetes
Evaluation Delirium Risk Factor Assessment
Slide 7
Capacity to Consent IF a vulnerable elder is to have inpatient
or outpatient elective surgery, THEN there should be documentation
of the patients capacity to understand the risks and benefits of
the proposed procedure before the operative consent form is
presented for signature..
Slide 8
Capacity to Consent .. BECAUSE failure to document this
information may result in a surgical procedure and surgical
outcomes that are not consistent with the patients goals of
care.
Slide 9
Capacity to Consent Informed consent Critical to planning and
delivery of quality surgical care Important aspect of clinical
communication Potential target of liability Ethical obligation AMA
Code of Ethics Legislation all 50 states mandate this
Slide 10
Capacity to Consent Risk factors that impair or prevent
adequate informed consent Older age Fewer years of formal education
Delirium Surrogate consent may be necessary Cognitive assessment
rare even in delirious subjects in prior studies (< 4% cases) Am
J Med 103: 410-418, 1997
Slide 11
Capacity to Consent Independent risk factors for failure to
obtain informed consent Delirium (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.3 5.3) Less
invasive procedure (OR 5.0, 95% CI 2.0 12.8) Not without risks Need
to match with goals of therapy Potential for liability Am J Med
103: 410-418, 1997
Slide 12
Discussion of Goals of Care IF a vulnerable elder is to have
elective major surgery, THEN patient priorities and preferences
regarding treatment options, operative risks, anticipated
postoperative functional outcome, and advance directive and
designated surrogate decision maker should be discussed
preoperatively..
Slide 13
Discussion of Goals of Care .. BECAUSE preoperative discussions
regarding surgical options, including risks and outcomes,
life-sustaining preferences, and presence of an advance directive,
may improve the correlation between the patients wishes and
administered care.
Slide 14
Discussion of Goals of Care Needed information Complications
Likelihood for survival Likelihood for functional decline Providers
often misunderstand patient preferences or dont discuss Poor
documentation about goals complicates this issue J Am Geriatr Soc
48: s44-s51, 2000
Slide 15
Discussion of Goals of Care Hospitalized Elderly Longitudinal
Project 63% of patients > 80 years old received at least 1
life-sustaining intervention before death despite voicing a desire
for less- aggressive care Written advance directives Only
documented in about 25% cases 1990 Patient Self-Determination Act J
Am Geriatr Soc 50: 930-934, 2002 Arch Intern Med 164: 1501-1506,
2004
Slide 16
Discussion of Goals of Care Patients prediction of functional
status Self-predictions and current level of function often
provides the most accurate information about future outcomes
Factors influencing treatment choice Burden of treatment Possible
outcomes Likelihood of possible outcomes New Engl J Med 346:
1061-1066, 2002
Slide 17
Discussion of Goals of Care Low-burden treatments Likelihood of
poor outcome is strongly correlated with decision to decline even
low-burden treatments among older adults Discussions of goals
important Help maintain patient autonomy Prevent unnecessary
treatments
Slide 18
Preoperative Pulmonary Evaluation IF a vulnerable elder is to
have elective major surgery, THEN a pulmonary review of systems
(i.e., history of smoking, baseline exercise tolerance, history of
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or asthma) and chest
auscultation should be performed preoperatively..
Slide 19
Preoperative Pulmonary Evaluation .. BECAUSE vulnerable elders
may possess risk factors for the development of postoperative
pneumonia, and a pulmonary history and examination can aid in
identifying the risk of postoperative pneumonia.
Slide 20
Preoperative Pulmonary Evaluation Prospective cohort >
160,000 elderly VA patients Independent risk factors for post-op
pneumonia Increased age (> 60 years) Recent smoking History of
COPD or stroke Impaired cognitive or functional status Weight loss
Ann Intern Med 135: 847-857, 2001
Slide 21
Preoperative Pulmonary Evaluation Many risk factors are
non-modifiable Interventions target post-operative risk reduction
in high-risk patients Incentive spirometry Intermittent
positive-pressure breathing Minimum pre-operative assessment
Examination of airway, lungs, heart Exercise tolerance testing if
indicated Circulation 100: 1464-1480, 1999
Slide 22
Preoperative Cardiovascular Evaluation IF a vulnerable elder is
to have elective major surgery, THEN an assessment of
cardiovascular risk should be performed preoperatively, BECAUSE
cardiovascular disease causes a significant amount of postoperative
morbidity and mortality.
Slide 23
Preoperative Cardiovascular Evaluation Risk stratification
tools Many different options available Self-reported exercise
tolerance is very important and a major predictor of outcome Poor
exercise tolerance (< 4 blocks walking or < 2 flights stairs)
associated with more cardiac, neurologic complications and
transfers to ICU or telemetry Arch Intern Med 159: 2185-2192,
1999
Slide 24
Preoperative Cardiovascular Evaluation Formal cardiac stress
testing used selectively based on risk stratification Exercise
tolerance 1 MET improvement = mortality reduction of 17% in men and
12% in women Overall tolerance < 5 METs 2x increase in
postoperative death in men 3x increase in postoperative death in
women Circulation 108: 1554-1559, 2003 N Engl J Med 346: 793-801,
2002
Slide 25
Preoperative Diabetes Evaluation IF a vulnerable elder is to
have elective major surgery, THEN the presence or absence of
diabetes mellitus should be documented preoperatively; AND IF a
vulnerable elder with diabetes mellitus is to have elective major
surgery, THEN the diabetes regimen and adequacy of diabetes control
should be documented preoperatively..
Slide 26
Preoperative Diabetes Evaluation .. BECAUSE diabetes mellitus
affects perioperative cardiovascular risk and is a major risk
factor for wound infection.
Slide 27
Preoperative Diabetes Evaluation Hyperglycemia impairs wound
healing Blood sugar > 250 mg/dL Impairs leukocyte function
Prevents immunoglobulin from fixing complement correctly Increases
risk of mortality Associated with increased length of hospital
stays Int Anesthesiol Clin 38: 31-67, 2000 Anesthsiol Clin North Am
22: 93-123, 2004
Slide 28
Preoperative Diabetes Evaluation Duration of diabetes
Long-standing diabetes (< 10 years) Increases risk of end-organ
disease Increased risk of associated postoperative complications
Stroke Myocardial infarction Deterioration in renal function
Slide 29
Preoperative Diabetes Evaluation Mechanism of diabetes control
Important to know what patient uses Influences choices on pre- and
post-operative managements Diet Oral hypoglycemic agents Insulin
Goal of serum glucose on day of surgery of < 200 mg/dL Consider
delaying elective surgery if necessary until glucose control
improved Discussion continued in Post-operative care section
Slide 30
Preoperative Delirium Risk Factor Assessment IF a vulnerable
elder is to have elective major surgery, THEN he or she should be
screened for risk factors for the development of postoperative
delirium within 8 weeks before surgery, BECAUSE delirium is common
in elderly patients, and identification of patients at risk for
delirium may allow prevention or earlier diagnosis and treatment of
postoperative delirium.
Slide 31
Preoperative Delirium Risk Factor Assessment Post-operative
delirium is common in older adults Incidence varies widely in
literature However, associated morbidity and mortality can be
significant Studies suggest increased 2-3 fold increase in
mortality in those with post-op delirium Increases length of stay
and need for post- discharge care
Slide 32
Preoperative Delirium Risk Factor Assessment Predictive models
identify risk factors Visual impairment Severe illness Cognitive
impairment Poor functional status Self-reported alcohol abuse
Electrolyte abnormalities BUN:creatinine ratio 18 Ann Intern Med
119: 474-481, 1993 JAMA 271: 134-139, 1994
Slide 33
Preoperative Delirium Risk Factor Assessment Prior episodes of
delirium are also highly predictive of future delirium Prevention
is key Preoperative planning can help reduce the incidence of
post-operative delirium Discussion continued in Post-operative care
section
Slide 34
Perioperative Care Prevention of Surgical Site Infection
Perioperative Beta-blockade Anticoagulation for Hip Fracture and
Replacement
Slide 35
Prevention of Surgical Site Infection IF a vulnerable elderly
has elective major surgery, THEN prophylactic antibiotics should be
administered within 1 hour before incision (2 hours for vancomycin
or fluoroquinolone) and discontinued within 24 hours after the end
of surgery..
Slide 36
Prevention of Surgical Site Infection .. BECAUSE studies show a
marked reduction in the relative risk of surgical site infections
with the appropriate timing and duration of antibiotic
prophylaxis.
Slide 37
Prevention of Surgical Site Infection National Surgical
Infection Prevention Project (NSIPP) Prospective, randomized,
double-blind RCT Elective GI surgery If no antibiotics = 4x
increase in wound infection or systemic sepsis Infection rates
significantly reduced if antibiotics administered within 1 hour of
start of surgical case Multiple studies support this recommendation
Surgery 66: 97-103, 1967
Slide 38
Prevention of Surgical Site Infection Stopping antibiotics
after surgery Prolonged antibiotic use increases the risk of
colonization or infection with antibiotic resistant organisms NSIPP
guidelines recommend routine antibiotics be stopped within 24 hours
after surgery Dependent on multiple patient factors Tailored to the
patients needs Clin Infect Dis 38: 1706-1715, 2004
Slide 39
Perioperative Beta-blockade IF a vulnerable elder with coronary
artery disease has elective major surgery, THEN preoperative beta
blockade should be considered, and if initiated, it should be
continued until discharge, BECAUSE perioperative beta blockade
appears to decrease the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and
mortality.
Slide 40
Perioperative Beta-blockade Somewhat controversial Several
studies support this More recent studies raise questions about
safety and possible adverse outcomes Depends on specific population
and individual patient characteristics Suggests therapy should be
tailored by cardiovascular risk status
Slide 41
Perioperative Beta-blockade Underlying cardiovascular risk
important Retrospective study 780,000 patients in 326 hospitals
Outcomes varied by risk status Low-risk = no benefit or possible
harm Adjusted OR death = 1.36 (95% CI = 1.27 1.45) High-risk =
survival benefit Adjusted OR death = 0.58 0.88 (dependent on risk
status) N Engl J Med 353: 349-361, 2005
Slide 42
Perioperative Beta-blockade Meta-analysis of 22 RCTs showed no
reduction in total mortality, cardio- vascular mortality, nonfatal
MI, nonfatal cardiac arrest (considered separately) However, the
composite risk of all of these events (combined) was reduced during
the first 30 days post-op BMJ 331: 313-321, 2005
Slide 43
Perioperative Beta-blockade Potential complications Increased
risk hypotension (RR = 1.27) Increased risk of bradycardia (RR =
2.27) Overall, the American College of Cardiology and American
College of Physicians recommend beta-blockade in selected surgical
patients (based on the cardiovascular risk status) J Am Coll
Cardiol 39: 542-553, 2002
Slide 44
Anticoagulation for Hip Fracture and Replacement IF a
vulnerable elder has sustained a hop fracture, THEN an
anticoagulant regimen should be started; and IF a vulnerable elder
is to have a total hip replacement, THEN an anticoagulation regimen
should be started preoperatively or on the evening after
surgery..
Slide 45
Anticoagulation for Hip Fracture and Replacement .. BECAUSE
studies suggest that DVT prophylaxis reduces the incidence of DVT
and pulmonary embolism (PE) in elderly patients with hip fracture
and undergoing total hip replacement.
Slide 46
Anticoagulation for Hip Fracture and Replacement Prevalence of
DVT in elderly hip fracture patients undergoing arthroplasty ranges
from 42 57% if no given anti-coagulation prophylaxis Meta-analysis
of RCTs showed that subcutaneous heparin administration yielded a
56% reduction in odds of proximal DVT Chest 126(suppl): 338s-400s,
2004 New Engl J Med 318: 1162-1173, 1988
Slide 47
Anticoagulation for Hip Fracture and Replacement Comparison
trials of various forms of anti-coagulation therapy have yielded
mixed results Low-molecular weight heparins Warfarin Other agents
(enoxaparin, fondaparinux) Standard heparin Intermittent pneumatic
compression leggings Graduated compression stockings
Slide 48
Anticoagulation for Hip Fracture and Replacement If surgical
delay occurs, recommend heparin- based therapy Surgical delay is
associated with decreased mobility, bedrest Pain may also limit
mobility and increase DVT risk American Geriatrics Society (AGS)
recommends all elderly patients undergoing major surgery
Slide 49
Anticoagulation Prophylaxis in Other Surgical Cases American
Geriatrics Society (AGS) recommends all elderly patients undergoing
major surgery receive some form of DVT prophylaxis Graduated
compression stockings Intermittent pneumatic compression leggings
Must be operational prior to induction of anesthesia for maximum
effect Low-molecular weight heparins or regular heparin Oral
warfarin is NOT recommended (harder to control and adjust around
time of surgery) J Am Geriatr Soc 49: 664-672, 2004
Slide 50
Postoperative Care Mobilization Diabetes Control Screen for
Postoperative Delirium Cognition and Function at Discharge
Slide 51
Mobilization If a vulnerable elder who was ambulatory as an
outpatient has major surgery and is not in intensive care, THEN
ambulation should be performed by postoperative day 2 ..
Slide 52
Mobilization .. BECAUSE early ambulation as a major component
of a multimodal intervention program, is associated with better
functional recovery and shorter length of hospital stay in
postoperative patients.
Slide 53
Mobilization Prolonged bedrest is associated with increased
risk of DVT, pulmonary embolism, and deconditioning in elderly
Multiple studies support that early mobilization yield benefits
Decreased length of hospital stay Faster attainment of functional
recovery ACC/AHA guidelines support this also Circulation 100:
1464-1480, 1999
Slide 54
Mobilization Mobilization includes multiple components Up to
chair Toilet transfers Ambulation Remove tethers (catheters, tubes,
drains, etc.) as soon as feasible Utilize physiotherapy and devices
to aide mobility as needed
Slide 55
Diabetes Control If a vulnerable elder with diabetes mellitus
has major surgery, THEN blood sugar should be dept below 200 on day
of surgery and the first two post- operative days (or the chart
should reflect attempts to achieve this)..
Slide 56
Diabetes Control .. BECAUSE diabetes mellitus affects
perioperative cardiovascular risk and is a major risk factor for
wound infection.
Slide 57
Diabetes Control Blood glucose > 250 mg/dL impairs wound
healing after surgery Intensive insulin therapy Goal = blood
glucose 80 110 mg/dL Reduces morbidity and mortality in critically
ill surgical patients Compared to standard blood glucose range of
180 200 mg/dL) J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 125: 1007-1021, 2003
Slide 58
Diabetes Control American College of Endocrinology Position
Statement on diabetes control in elderly hospitalized patients
Blood sugar targets 110 mg/dL = intensive care unit patients 110
mg/dL = preprandial, non-intensive care 180 mg/dL = random,
non-intensive care
Slide 59
Screen for Postoperative Delirium If a vulnerable elder has
major surgery, THEN a daily screening examination for delirium
should be performed for the first 3 days after surgery, BECAUSE
daily screening for delirium will improve recognition of delirium
and allow earlier intervention.
Slide 60
Screen for Postoperative Delirium Daily screening with
validated screening tools after surgery Increases rates of early
detection of post- operative delirium Enhances ability to intervene
Leads to improved clinical outcomes and decreased morbidity /
mortality
Slide 61
Screen for Postoperative Delirium Confusion Assessment Method
(CAM) Validated screening tool Easy to administer Acute onset and
fluctuating course (required) Inattention (required) AND either
Disorganized thinking OR Altered level of consciousness Sensitivity
81%, Specificity 84% Ann Intern Med 113: 941-948, 1990
Slide 62
Screen for Postoperative Delirium CAM is a useful screening
tool Confirmation of diagnosis using the DSM-IV criteria Primary
goal is to prevent onset Treat potential causative factors Consider
psychiatric consultation in patients with persistent delirium not
responsive to therapy
Slide 63
Screen for Postoperative Delirium Treatment Improve environment
Involve family, other caregivers Avoid restraints (physical &
chemical) as possible (balance risk/benefit) Correct underlying
factors Electrolytes and hydration Inappropriate medications
(doses, types)
Slide 64
Screen for Postoperative Delirium Treatment Scheduled
haloperiodol (0.5 2.0 mg) Titrate to clinical response May require
total of 2.0 5.0 mg over time Decrease dosing once improving
Remember to start low and go slow Avoid PRN dosing may worsen
symptoms
Slide 65
Cognition and Function at Discharge If a vulnerable elder has
major surgery, THEN assessment of cognition and functional status
before discharge, in comparison with preoperative levels, should be
performed, BECAUSE it may identify discharge-planning needs.
Slide 66
Cognition and Function at Discharge Approximately 60% of all
older adults will loose complete independence of at least on
Activity of Daily Living (ADL) during an acute hospitalization May
require additional care after discharge Home health nursing
Rehabilitation / therapy services Skilled nursing facility
placement Temporary vs. permanent
Slide 67
Cognition and Function at Discharge 97% of older adults report
one or more additional care needs at the time of hospital discharge
33% report that at least one of these needs were not being met
Failure to screen for decline in cognitive or functional status
Need to understand baseline function Understand available services
Health Serv Res 27: 155-175, 1992
Slide 68
Cognition and Function at Discharge Baseline assessment must be
performed and documented (changes in status) Involve patient,
family, other caregivers Begin planning for discharge prior to
admission or surgery if possible Understand coverage and services
available in your practice community
Slide 69
Summary Some elderly patients may be good candidates for
surgical therapy Careful perioperative care can help optimize
outcomes Preoperative assessment Selection for surgery Recommended
preoperative evaluations Perioperative care Postoperative care
Slide 70
Summary Multidisciplinary cooperation is vital Coordination of
the overall plan of care Transitions of care important Between
services Changes in environment and care location Successful
outcomes can be achieved