Overview
- A Medicare analysis of patients older than 66 who underwent coronary bypass, pneumonectomy, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, pancreatectomy, or colectomy from 2016 to 2021 found 10.9% developed a new geriatric syndrome during hospitalization.
- Those who developed a syndrome spent a median of 16.5 fewer days at home within 90 days after surgery and were far less likely to be discharged directly home.
- Any new syndrome was associated with a 132% higher risk of death within one year, rising to 272% with two or more syndromes, with a 54% increase even when major complications were absent.
- Dehydration was most common among affected patients (66.7%), followed by delirium (25.2%) and malnutrition (13.2%).
- Risk increased with older age, greater comorbidity burden, and emergency surgery, while minimally invasive procedures were linked to a 49% lower risk.