Vital statistics projections are that by early this current century, the elderly population will increase sharply due to aging of the baby boomers. By 2030, estimates are that one out of five Americans will be 65 years of age or older, while one out of four elderly individuals will be ≥ 85 years of age. The other adult population will have an increased likelihood of requiring surgery. Statistics show that approximately 12% of adults will require surgery each year as compared with 21% of the elderly who will require some form of anesthesia and surgery. With the continued aging of the population and more older patients needing surgery, improvement of the perioperative care delivery and outcome of the older subjects is critically important. Our group focuses on outcomes research in older surgical patients, with the overall goal to identify methods to improve perioperative care delivery and outcomes of older surgical patients.
