Hacia la formalización de programas para la atención quirúrgica integral del paciente anciano

Introduction. The elderly population is increasing worldwide, and our region is no the exception. Elderly patients frequently present surgical emergencies, which can lead to unfavorable outcomes. The implementation of a program for the comprehensive management of elderly patients who will undergo a surgical procedure could bring multiple benefits. Methods. Narrative review and reflective analysis of available information on surgical programs for the comprehensive care of elderly patients and their importance. Results. Among the benefits of establishing a surgical program for the care of elderly patients are offering better surgical and, in certain cases, precisely non-surgical outcomes. It is highly possible that the morbidity and mortality of the procedures undertaken will be reduced, or at least the patient’s baseline functionality will be preserved. An organized co-management service between surgery and geriatrics, which adopts management protocols and identifies the particular risk of patients through validated scales adopted by consensus, would favor informed decision-making by the patient, their family, and the surgeon. Conclusions. The previous considerations lead us to suggest the need to implement specialized programs to comprehensively address the needs of the growing elderly population, who frequently require surgical procedures to solve complex pathologies.