Validity of Hepatic or Pancreatic Resection for Elderly Patients Aged 85 Years or Older at a Single Community Hospital in Japan.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of age on the surgical outcomes in hepatic or pancreatic resection.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed 50 hepatic or pancreatic resections in our community hospital and divided them into 2 groups based on age: patients aged ≥85 years old and patients aged <85 years old. We calculated the Estimation of Physiologic Ability and Surgical Stress (E-PASS) score and the Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enumeration of Mortality and Morbidity (POSSUM) system and compared the surgical outcome between the two groups.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to E-PASS and POSSUM scores. Patients aged ≥85 years had a significantly higher frequency of anti-platelet agents. The incidence of postoperative complications and mortality in patients ≥85 years old were comparable to those in patients aged <85 years old.

CONCLUSION: Hepatic or pancreatic resection for elderly patients aged 85 years or older can be safely performed under a given careful patient selection.