ACS and AGS Issue New Guidelines for the Preoperative Care of Elderly Patients

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) have jointly issued new comprehensive guidelines for the preoperative care of elderly patients. According to the guidelines, because there are complex problems specific to elderly patients undergoing surgical procedures, including use of multiple medications, comorbidities, and declining functional status, the number and severity of underlying medical problems call for special strategies by the entire surgical team. With that in mind, the guidelines were designed to help surgeons and the rest of the perioperative care team improve the quality of surgical care for elderly patients by optimizing each patient’s medical condition.