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Anesthetic Considerations for Geriatric Surgery

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Principles and Practice of Geriatric Surgery

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Abstract

Is a healthy geriatric patient different from a healthy 20-year-old? If so, how should one approach the elderly from an anesthetic standpoint when assessing them prior to surgery? Are there some basic differences that affect anesthetic management? Understanding the physiologic and pharmacologic changes associated with aging give us insight to help discern the effects of aging and the consequences of age-related disease. Other chapters of this book cover preoperative risk assessment and specific organ systems in great detail; this chapter addresses the geriatric patient from the anesthesiologist’s viewpoint. Pertinent organ systems are taken into consideration in terms of their impact on the perioperative anesthetic plan. In addition, recommendations concerning perioperative care of the geriatric patient focus on how commonly used anesthetics, techniques, and management affect the perioperative care of the geriatric patient.

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Authors
  1. Stephen N. Harris
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA

    Ronnie A. Rosenthal MD (Associate Professor, Chief, Surgical Service) (Associate Professor, Chief, Surgical Service)

  2. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, 06516, CT, USA

    Ronnie A. Rosenthal MD (Associate Professor, Chief, Surgical Service) (Associate Professor, Chief, Surgical Service)

  3. Department of Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, 10461, NY, USA

    Michael E. Zenilman MD (Associate Professor and Vice-Chairman, Chief of Surgery) (Associate Professor and Vice-Chairman, Chief of Surgery)

  4. Jack D. Weiler Hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, 10461, NY, USA

    Michael E. Zenilman MD (Associate Professor and Vice-Chairman, Chief of Surgery) (Associate Professor and Vice-Chairman, Chief of Surgery)

  5. Wyoming Valley Surgical Associates, Kingston, 18704, PA, USA

    Mark R. Katlic M.D. (Chief of Thoracic Surgery) (Chief of Thoracic Surgery)

  6. Wyoming Valley Healthcare System, Wilkes-Barre, 18702, PA, USA

    Mark R. Katlic M.D. (Chief of Thoracic Surgery) (Chief of Thoracic Surgery)

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Harris, S.N. (2001). Anesthetic Considerations for Geriatric Surgery. In: Rosenthal, R.A., Zenilman, M.E., Katlic, M.R. (eds) Principles and Practice of Geriatric Surgery. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3432-4_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3432-4_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-3434-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-3432-4

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