Seriously ill older surgical patients need double length of hospital stay, study finds

Credit: Getty/Sean Anthony Eddy

By Olivia Bowthorpe

Older adults who are seriously ill before surgery have significantly higher palliative care needs afterwards, some of which could be mitigated with early intervention, new research has shown.

The study, which included data from 2,499 people aged 66 and over undergoing major elective surgery, found those who had a life-limiting condition required double the number of hospital days than those who did not.