Pre-Surgical Care Helps Seniors Stay Sharp After Surgery
September 17, 2018
Preventing surgery-related cognitive decline
After a major surgery, many older patients experience a range of cognitive symptoms that don’t seem related to the surgery they had. These wide-ranging symptoms can be indicative of postoperative cognitive disorder, a condition where cognitive issues appear or worsen in older patients after a surgery. POCD can lead to many long-term issues, including loss of independence, readmission, and increased mortality.
To help keep older patients strong and sharp after surgery, an interdisciplinary team of researchers, clinicians, and chapel staff at Duke University Medical Center have formed the Perioperative Optimization of Senior Health program. Patients who participated in the program experienced a 33% shorter length of stay, had a 57% lower 30-day readmission rate, and were 22% more likely to be discharged home with self-care compared to similarly aged patients who didn’t participate, according to a study Duke published.
Older patients identified to be at a high risk of POCD based on existing cognitive or physical issues are referred to POSH so they can receive personalized care and counseling. For example, clinicians might discontinue medications that interact poorly with anesthesia, offer patients a pre-surgery meal plan, prescribe daily exercise, and ensure patients have a support system at home.
