Surgery and Rehabilitation this section includes Chapter 24. Exercise Chapter 24. Surgery involving the chest or abdomen increases risk by 20 to 50 times in all age groups.
Nonfatal complications are also more common in the elderly.
Thus, age may be a sufficient reason to avoid surgery. On the other hand, chronologic and physiologic ages are not necessarily equivalent. The decision to perform surgery should be based on the patient's general health status and the severity of the disorder, not on age alone. Despite chronologic age, the benefits of surgery may outweigh the risks. Potential benefits must always be weighed against potential risks.