Comparison of patients over 70 years old operated for hernia and cholecystolithiasis in the years 1990-1994 and 2001-2002
Januszewski, J.; Markert, R.
Polski merkuriusz lekarski organ Polskiego Towarzystwa Lekarskiego 18(105): 261-264
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 1426-9686 PMID: 15997627 Document Number: 592637
THE AIM OF THE STUDY was assessment of this phenomenon as observed in the past period of 1990-2002 among patients from the surgical department. In the years 1990-1994 the percentage of persons over 70 years who had been operated upon rose from 14 to 25% with an average of 14.7%. Patients operated for inquinal and femoral hernias and for cholecystolithiasis in the years 1990-1994 were assessed and compared with those operated in the years 2001-2002 with regard to the rate of postoperative complications. It was found that the total percentage of patients over 70 years old operated upon became reduced from 14.7 to 9.7% and that it even fell from 34 to 17% in persons past 80 treated for hernia. The marked improvement of the results of the treatment of cholecystolithiasis was attributed to the introduction of the laparoscopic method of operation. In the group of patients treated with the above method the percentage of persons over 80 years old also fell from 19.2 to 12.5%. This is proof that current demographic data do not always find their reflection among persons operated upon and that they do not bear aggravatingly upon the results of treatment.