Reverse shoulder arthroplasty in patients 85 years and older is safe, effective, and durable.

BACKGROUND: Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) was originally indicated for older adults, but outcomes in the oldest patients have not been studied. The purpose of this study was to report on patients aged ≥85 years undergoing RSA. We hypothesized that RSA would be safe, effective, and durable. METHODS: Sixty-one RSAs were performed in 58 patients aged ≥85 years (16 patients aged ≥90 years); 40 RSAs were performed for arthritis with cuff deficiency, 14 were performed for proximal humeral fractures, and 7 were performed as revisions. Active range of motion and patient-reported outcomes, comprising the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, Simple Shoulder Test score, and visual analog scale pain score, were obtained preoperatively and at final follow-up. Hospital length of stay, discharge disposition, and complications were recorded. Kaplan-Meier survivorship was computed with revision surgery or death as an endpoint. RESULTS: The mean age at RSA was 88.0 years. Mean forward elevation improved from 50.5° to 105.3°; abduction, from 48.7° to 96.1°; and external rotation, from 10.2° to 26.9° (P < .001 for all). Similarly, at a mean follow-up of 2.4 years, the visual analog scale pain score improved from 6.1 to 0.6; Simple Shoulder Test score, from 2.2 to 7.0; and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, from 33.6 to 78.2 (P < .001 for all). The mean length of stay was 3.6 days, and 15 patients were discharged home. Seven patients received a blood transfusion, and only 2 patients underwent a reoperation, neither of whom required explantation. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Improvements in active range of motion and patient-reported outcomes in our patients were comparable to those observed in younger cohorts and exceeded published minimal clinically important differences for most patients undergoing RSA for cuff deficiency. Additionally, to date, the patients in our study who died had lived with their RSA for a mean of 3.4 years and living patients had lived with their RSA for a mean of 4.3 years. RSA in patients aged ≥85 years is safe, effective, and durable for their remaining life expectancy. This information may help counsel older patients who are considering RSA, electively or for fractures.

Inaccuracy of standard geriatric scores in nonagenarians following hospitalization for various spinal pathologies.

Demographic trends make it incumbent on spine surgeons to recognize the special challenges involved in caring for older patients. The aim of this study was to identify variables that may predict early mortality in geriatric patients over the age of 90 following elective hospitalization for various spinal pathologies. Retrospective analyses of all patients over the age of 90 years, which were electively treated between 2006 and 2016 at out department for various spinal conditions, were performed. Patient characteristics, type of treatment, and comorbidities were analyzed with regard to the 30-day mortality rate. Twenty-six patients were identified. Mean age was 93 years (range 91-97), 19 (73%) were female. Eighteen (69%) patients were treated operatively. Mean hospital stay was 13 days (range 2-51). Seventeen (65%) patients were on anticoagulation therapy. Mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was 5.3 (range 1-11); mean diagnosis count (DC) was 8.3 (range 2-17); mean Geriatric Index of Comorbidity (GIC) was 2.8 (range 1-4); and mean comorbidity-polypharmacy score (GPS) was 13.3 (range 5-23). The 30-day mortality rate was 16.7% in the surgically treated group compared with 12.5% in the conservatively treated group (p = 0.9), anticoagulation therapy (p = 0.91), gender (p = 0.49), length of hospital stay (p = 0.33), GIC (p = 0.54), CCI (p = 0.74), GPS (p = 0.82), and DC (p = 0.65) did not correlate with the 30-day mortality rate. Cause of death was pulmonary embolism in two cases and unknown in one case. Thirty-day mortality rate in patients over 90 years old with degenerative spinal diseases is relatively high regardless of the treatment modality. Standard geriatric prognostic scores seem less reliable for these patients.

Full-endoscopic spine surgery in oldest old patients aged over 90 years:A case report.

BACKGROUND: Transforaminal full-endoscopic spine surgery (FESS) is the least invasive spinal surgery and can be performed under local anesthesia. In Japan, the population is rapidly aging and the number of spinal surgeries performed in the elderly is also increasing. OBJECT: In this report, we describe 3 patients aged 90 years or older in whom we performed FESS under local anesthesia. CASE: The first case was a 90-year-old man who presented with severe leg pain. He had multiple medical comorbidities and was unsuitable for general anesthesia. We performed FESS. After surgery, the leg pain resolved with full recovery of muscle strength. He was discharged with no perioperative complications. The second case was a 90-year-old man who presented with severe leg pain. MRI showed a herniated nucleus pulposus and foraminal stenosis at L4/5. We performed FESS. The leg pain improved immediately after surgery. The third case was a 91-year-old woman in whom we diagnosed left L5 radiculopathy due to foraminal stenosis at L5/S1. After surgery, her leg pain was relieved. CONCLUSION: FESS is a good surgical procedure for elderly patients who are in a poor general condition because it is minimally invasive and can be performed under local anesthesia with early mobilization. J. Med. Invest. 71 : 169-173, February, 2024.

Surgical risk assessment for super-elderly patients.

AIM: Super-elderly patients are often frail and the decision on surgical indications remains a difficult issue. The purpose of this study was to provide a certain preoperative surgical risk assessment tool for super-elderly people. METHODS: We selected 112 individuals who were super-elderly patients aged >90 years who had surgeries under general anesthesia in our department. Based on the quality of the postoperative outcome of each case, we categorized these patients into two groups: good and poor groups. We evaluated the fundamental examination items, such as American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status, skeletal muscle mass index and so on, and a couple of the well-known risk score systems represented by Estimation of Physiology Ability and Surgical Stress. RESULTS: A total of 85 of the 112 patients belonged to the good group and the rest belonged to the poor group. The quality of postoperative outcome is well characterized by Estimation of Physiology Ability and Surgical Stress (P = 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis of Estimation of Physiology Ability and Surgical Stress for the quality of postoperative outcome shows sensitivity of 0.83 and specificity of 0.61. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that skeletal muscle mass index and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status are prominent as the risk determinants affecting the quality of postoperative outcome. A scoring system based on the skeletal muscle mass index, which is a good index of sarcopenia, and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status, named the "SAP score" has the following characteristics. P-value <0.001, sensitivity 0.76 and specificity 0.91. CONCLUSIONS: Informed consent based on the risk score might be able to reduce the regrettable situation where it would have been better to have had surgery or not to have had surgery. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 271-277.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of very elderly patients ≥90 years in intensive care: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Since the overall prognosis of very elderly patients is generally limited, admissions to intensive care in these patients are often restricted. Therefore, only very few information is available on the prognosis of nonagenarians after intensive care treatment. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of very elderly patients (≥90 years) admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: Monocentric, retrospective observational study of all patients aged ≥90 years admitted to the Department of Intensive Care Medicine with a total capacity of 132 ICU beds at the University Medical Center Hamburg in Germany between January 2008 and June 2013. A multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for 28-day outcome. RESULTS: A total of 372 patients ≥90 years of age were admitted to one of the departments ICUs. The majority of patients (66.7 %) were admitted as an emergency admission, of which half underwent unscheduled surgery. 39.8 % of patients required support by mechanical ventilation and vasoactive drugs, and 1.9 % of patients received renal replacement. ICU and hospital mortality rates were 18.3 and 30.9 %, respectively. Overall survival at 1 year after hospital discharge was 34.9 %. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed creatinine, bilirubin, age, and necessity of catecholamines as independent risk factors and scheduled surgery as protective factor for 28-day outcome. CONCLUSION: Nearly 70 % of patients aged ≥90 years were discharged alive from hospital following treatment at the ICU, and more than half of them were still alive 1 year after their discharge. The results suggest that 1-year survival prognosis of very old ICU patients is not as poor as often perceived and that age per se should not be an exclusion criterion for ICU admission. TRIAL REGISTRATION: WF-0561/13.

Chronic subdural hematoma in patients over 90 years old in a super-aged society.

BACKGROUND: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is one of the most common diseases in neurosurgical practice, particularly among aged patients. With the continuing increase in the aged population, further increases in incidence are expected. However, few studies have focused on CSDH in super-aged patients over 90 years old. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records for 20 consecutive patients over 90 years old with CSDH treated in our department between 2007 and 2013. The diagnosis of CSDH was confirmed by computed tomography (CT). Patients were divided into a surgery group and a conservative group. Surgical procedures included burr-hole surgery followed by insertion of a subdural drain under local anesthesia. Clinical data were compared and analyzed. Neurological status was evaluated according to the modified Rankin Scale at three time points: before suffering from CSDH; at the time of referral or admission to our department; and at discharge or 1 month after the first referral. Statistical tests were used to analyze data and values of P < 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Mean age for the 20 cases was 92.6 years (range, 90 - 96 years). The leading symptoms in this population were hemiparesis and gait disturbance, followed by disturbance of consciousness and speech disturbance. Twelve patients underwent burr-hole surgery. Mean maximum thickness of subdural hematoma as measured on CT was significantly higher in the surgery group (28.2 ± 5.4 mm) than in the conservative group (17.0 ± 3.8 mm; P < 0.01). Postoperatively, mean neurological status was significantly improved in the surgery group (P < 0.01). After surgery, 66.7% of patients could return home directly from hospital. No significant perioperative complications directly related to surgery were encountered in the surgery group, except for transient postoperative restlessness and bruising of extremities due to falls. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery for CSDH is safe and positively recommended even in super-aged patients over 90 years old if the patient's physical status is fair. Pre-illness status is the most important factor for considering operative indications and represents a limiting factor for postoperative outcomes in this age population.

Analysis of gastroscopic characteristics in elderly people aged over 90 years / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of upper gastrointestinal diseases in very old people (aged ≥ 90 years),and to explore the necessity and safety of the gastroscopy for the super elderly people.Methods Clinical data of 50 very old people were retrospectively analyzed.Results The total detection rate of upper gastrointestinal disease was 76.0％ (38/50),in which the reflux esophagitis (RE) was the most common (26.0％),followed by erosive gastritis (20.0％),atrophic gastritis (18.0 ％),peptic ulcer (12.0 ％),gastrointestinal cancer (10.0％),duodenitis (8.0％) and fundic gland polyps (6.0％) respectively.RE lesions detected by gastroscopy were mainly mild and were divided into endoscopic grade LA-A (46.1％),LA-B (30.8％),LA C (7.7％),and LA-D (15.4％) according to the Los Angeles classification.The most common symptoms were abdominal distension and anorexia,and the both incidences were 12.0％.There was no significant difference in the prevalence of clinical symptoms between the elderly people with upper gastrointestinal disease and without abnormal gastroscopic findings [44.7％ (17/38) vs.41.7％ (5/12),x2 =0.035,P＞0.05].22 patients (44.0％) underwent gastroscopy under intravenous anesthesia.Conclusions The incidence of upper gastrointestinal disease is high in very old people,and mild reflux esophagitis is the most common.Clinical symptoms are little or asymptomatic in most very old people.Gastroscopy under intravenous anesthesia is safe and feasible for the very old people.