Mortality in geriatric surgery. With special reference to the type of surgery, anaesthesia, complicating dieeases, and prophylaxis of thrombosis.

The post-operative mortality of 17,199 patients of whom approximately 20% were aged 70 years or more was studied. The primary mortality of patients aged 70 or more in major operations was 9.2%. In emergency operations, the mortality was 36.8%, in elective surgery 7.8%. Pulmonary embolism was the cause of death in 33%, cardiac collapse in 11%, and the primary illness in 9%. The mortality of patients with mental diseases was 45%, of diabetics 26%, and of cardiac patients 17%. 39% of cardiac patients died of pulmonary embolism. 26% of all deaths occurred during the first 3 post-operative days, and 35% between the 4th and 7th post-operative day. In operations lasting more than 2 h, the mortality was 36%, in those lasting less than 2 h, 7.5%. Macrodex (dextran 70) infusions during high-risk operations decreased the incidence of lethal pulmonary embolism.