[The geriatric patient in surgical gynecology. Results of the treatment of geriatric patients--a postoperative quality control].

This paper presents results of a retrospective study covering 506 older women (age range: 60 years and older), who were treated by major gynecologic operations in a twenty-years-period between 1962 and 1981 at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the District Hospital of Stralsund. The total number of patients operated on during these twenty years was 6,246, the frequency of the operated older women 10.11 per cent. In two control periods (1967-1971 and 1977-1981) there was a slight increased of these patients in the last period from 8.22 per cent to 13.29 per cent. Comparing postoperative outcome and complication rate of the geriatric patients group there is no statistically significant difference to another group of patients (age range: 30-40 years) undergoing gynecologic surgery in 1981. Indications for gynecologic surgery showed age-dependent differences in the two groups. Our conclusions are that retrospective studies concerning clinical assuring of professional quality of medical care are not sufficient enough. As a result of this study we present our concept for medical data processing (documentation) regarding quality-assessment of gynecologic surgical care.