Abstract:

Objective: Global improvement in the quality of life has led to a rapid expansion of the elderly population. A majority of patients undergoing hip or lower extremity surgery belong to the geriatric age group; in these patients, regional anaesthesia is generally preferred over general anaesthesia due to the common occurrence of concomitant conditions. In this study, we investigated the effect of the anaesthetic technique on mortality, morbidity, and clinical outcomes in geriatric patients undergoing hip surgery. Methods: This study evaluated 700 patients over 65 years of age with an ASA status of III/IV who had undergone hip surgery between 2009 and 2013 at Firat University Hospital. Based on a review of patient records, 114 patients were eligible for the study. The two groups were comparable in terms of age, ASA status,gender, anaesthesia duration, haemoglobin levels at baseline and discharge, complication rates, need for post-operative intensive care unit admission, concomitant conditions, need for volume replacement, mortality rate and need for blood and blood products. Results: Patients were divided into the general (n = 76) and regional (n = 38) anaesthesia groups. Pre- and post-operative haemoglobin levels were not significantly different between the two groups(p>0.068) Surgery duration (113.68 ± 34.73 min) and hospital stay length (11.42 ± 4.03 days) were statistically shorter in the regional anaesthesia group. Conclusion: In geriatric patients undergoing hip surgery, regional anaesthesia is superior to general anaesthesia, as it results in reduced surgery duration, hospital stay length and need for blood transfusions.

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