How older adults can best prepare for surgery

By Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, Executive Director & CEO, American College of Surgeons

For people of all ages, the mere thought of surgery can spur anxious thoughts and concerns: How long will the surgery take? What will my recovery look like? How risky is the procedure?

Worries and questions about surgery are especially common for patients 65 years and older, who account for more than 40% of all in-patient operations and can be at risk for increased complications as a result of other co-existing medical conditions.

At the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the largest professional association of surgeons in the world, we understand that preparing for surgery can be an overwhelming experience. We believe that asking the right questions before surgery can foster open communication between the patient and the care team, make preparing for an operation less daunting, and lead to better outcomes.

To help older patients navigate the complexities of preparing for surgery, the ACS, through our Geriatric Surgery Verification (GSV) Program, created a patient checklist for older surgical patients, families and caregivers. The checklist, which is free for anyone to download, equips patients with practical tips in an easy-to-use format and can be filled out online with a computer or printed out and brought to an appointment. Developed in collaboration with surgical experts, the checklist and our robust patient-education materials (www.facs.org/for-patients/) are designed to help patients and their families ask the right questions at the right time to help ensure they receive high-quality surgical care.

Encouraging open communication

Open communication between the patient and the care team is paramount to any successful surgery. The checklist outlines several questions to foster honest discussions with your care team, including a section to list any special considerations such as cognition (thinking) and delirium (confusion) risk, and a section to list all your current medications and allergies in one place to help facilitate a smoother office visit.

Putting your care goals front and center

Your goals and quality of life are as important as many other details related to your surgery. The checklist includes a section to capture thoughts about your overall health, treatment goals and how surgery might affect your daily life. Often referred to as patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures, this information is important for detailing what matters to you most. Having discussions about your priorities in advance can help your surgical team develop a specific care plan that relies on the best possible research and aligns with your personal goals.

Helping you keep track of your questions

In the days and weeks before surgery, it can be difficult to think of all the questions you want to ask your surgeon and care team beforehand. The checklist includes several suggested questions to ask your care team. It also offers tips on having effective conversations with your care team to help you and your caregivers more fully understand all aspects of the operation and your recovery.

Download the Geriatric Surgery Patient Checklist (www.facs.org/gsvpatient/) and learn more about how the ACS GSV program (www.facs.org/gsv/) helps hospitals optimize surgical care for older patients through comprehensive, evidence-based standards. The ACS assists hospitals in improving surgical care in a variety of areas. We recognize hospitals that meet our high-quality verification standards with an ACS Surgical Quality Partner Diamond. Our hospital finder (www.facs.org/hospital-and-facilities/) provides patients with information on more than 2,500 hospitals nationwide that have earned the distinguished ACS Surgical Quality Partner Diamond by participating in one or more of our programs.

Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, is Executive Director & CEO of the American College of Surgeons, the largest professional association of surgeons in the world, founded in 1913.