Postoperative Care After Geriatric Ambulatory Surgery: Several Specific Considerations

SUMMARY In modern societies, elderly populations have increased over the last four decades and have become the main clients of medical services, including anesthesia in an ambulatory care setting, which was first introduced in the early 1900s. With minimal surgical wounds and the broad use of short-acting anesthetics, elderly patients could recover more quickly and fully from surgery. At the same time, effective and efficient postoperative care for elderly patients has become a new challenge for us. We reviewed several specific considerations associated with the natural aging process, which we encountered in the postanesthetic care unit, and also reviewed com- monly used criteria and guidelines for discharge from 1-day surgical procedures. We concluded that there should be more research or studies to provide rules for clinicians to take better care of elderly patients. (International Journal of Gerontology 2008; 2(3): 98-102)