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Rebecca Voelker

JAMA. 2000;284:2585.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

How old is too old for patients to undergo surgical procedures? For a growing number of Americans, the century mark shouldn't pose a barrier.

"There have been excellent advancements in anesthetic administration, surgical techniques, and postoperative care," said Ramesh Paladugu, MD, of New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn. "So, from a technical point of view, older patients are doing much better after major surgical procedures than they might have before."

During last month's American College of Surgeons' Clinical Congress in Chicago, Paladugu presented data on 61 centenarians who had undergone surgical procedures and other procedures requiring anesthesia since 1993. Their average age was 101.5 years; the oldest was 111. In all, they underwent five gastrointestinal procedures, six orthopedic procedures, nine percutaneous gastrostomies, 13 diagnostic and surgical endoscopies, and 28 other types of operations. Most had positive outcomes: 51% were discharged to a nursing home, 30% returned home to . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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