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Study Shows Seniors Have More Post-Operative Memory Problems |
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Study
Shows Seniors Have More Post-Operative Memory Problems
Individuals over
60 are more than twice as likely to develop memory problems after
non-cardiovascular surgery than their younger counterparts, according to new
study results. In addition, elderly post-op patients whose memory problems
persisted longer than three months were more likely to die within the 12-month
period after surgery. Doctors "have known that patients undergoing heart surgery
are at risk for cognitive dysfunction ... but the effects of non-cardiac
surgeries on brain function are not as well-understood," said Dr. Terri Monk, a
Duke University Medical Center anesthesiologist who authored the report. Surgery
and anesthesia could cause swelling of the brain that affects memory and
cognitive process, according to the study. If seniors are shown to be
predisposed to cognitive problems after surgery, doctors could devise better
strategies to prevent after-effects of surgery and anesthesia on the brain.
Nearly 1,100 patients were given tests to determine levels of cognitive function
before, immediately after and three months after surgery. About 1 in 8 (12.7%)
in the 60-plus group had some form of memory defect, compared with only 5.6% in
the younger groups. Roughly 30% top 40% of all adult patients undergoing major
non-cardiac surgery experience some form of memory or processing problem at the
time of discharge, but most people recover within three months, experts say.
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