Risk factors of serious postoperative outcomes in patients aged ≥90 years undergoing surgical intervention

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify preoperative and intraoperative factors associated with serious postoperative outcomes, which may help patients and clinicians make better-informed decisions. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study including all patients aged ≥90 years who underwent surgery between January 1, 2011, and January 1, 2021, at Chongqing University Central Hospital. We assessed 30 pre- and intraoperative demographic and clinical variables. Logistic regression was used to identify the independent risk factors for serious postoperative outcomes in patients aged ≥90 years. RESULTS: A total of 428 patients were included in our analysis. The mean age was 92.6 years (SD ± 2.6). There were 240 (56.1%) females and 188 (43.9%) males. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (44.9%) and arrhythmias (34.8%). The 30-day hospital mortality was 5.6%, and severe morbidity was 33.2%. Based on the multivariate logistic regression classification analysis of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)≥ Ⅳ [odds ratio (OR), 5.39, 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.06–14.16, P = .001], emergency surgery (OR, 5.02, 95% CI, 2.85–15.98, P = .001) and chronic heart failure (OR, 6.11, 95% CI, 1.93–13.06, P = .001) were identified as independent risk factors for 30-day hospital mortality, and ASA≥ Ⅳ (OR, 4.56, 95%CI, 2.56–8.15, P < .001), Barthel index (BI) < 35 (OR, 2.28, 95%CI, 1.30–3.98, P = .001), chronic heart failure (OR, 3.67, 95%CI, 1.62–8.31, P = .002), chronic kidney disease (OR, 4.24, 95%CI, 1.99–9.05, P < .001), general anesthesia (OR, 3.31, 95%CI, 1.91–5.76, P < .001), emergency surgery (OR, 3.72, 95%CI, 1.98–6.99, P < .001), and major surgery (OR, 3.44, 95%CI, 1.90–6.22, P < .001) were identified as independent risk factors for serious postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Patients aged ≥90 years with ASA≥ Ⅳ, BI < 35, combined with chronic heart failure or chronic kidney disease, undergoing emergency surgery, major surgery or general anesthesia have a higher risk of serious postoperative outcomes. Identifying these risk factors in an early stage may contribute to our clinical decision-making and improve the quality of treatments.