[Peculiarities of the surgery in the elderly. I. General considerations].

Geriatric surgery has experienced a great development over the past decades, not only because of the aging of the population, but also because of the better understanding of the aging process and technical progress. All these circumstances have expanded surgical supply to the elderly, as well as similar results to those earned in younger patients. In this paper, we review the concept of elderly, population aging, pathophysiology of aging, the peculiarities of illness in the elderly and the impact of aging on surgical practice. After considering the concept of surgical risk, we discuss preoperative evaluation of the old patient, plus aspects related to the surgery itself and postoperative recommendations. Finally, we conclude with some ethical considerations about surgery in the elderly.