• S P Chan, K Y Ip, and M G Irwin.
• Department of Anaesthesiology and Operating Theatre Service, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
• Anaesthesia. 2019 Jan 1; 74 Suppl 1: 80-89.

AbstractWith increasing life expectancy and technological advancement, provision of anaesthesia for elderly patients has become a significant part of the overall case-load. These patients are unique, not only because they are older with more propensity for comorbidity but a decline in physiological reserve and cognitive function invariably accompanies ageing; this can substantially impact peri-operative outcome and quality of recovery. Furthermore, it is not only morbidity and mortality that matters; quality of life is also especially relevant in this vulnerable population. Comprehensive geriatric assessment is a patient-centred and multidisciplinary approach to peri-operative care. The assessment of frailty has a central role in the pre-operative evaluation of the elderly. Other essential domains include optimisation of nutritional status, assessment of baseline cognitive function and proper approach to patient counselling and the decision-making process. Anaesthetists should be proactive in multidisciplinary care to achieve better outcomes; they are integral to the process.© 2019 Association of Anaesthetists.

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