Turkish Journal of
GERIATRICS

SSK Ege Doğumevi ve Kadın Hastalıkları Eğitim Hastanesi - İzmir The aim of this research was; to examine the gynecologic operations that must be applied to elderly women over 60 years old as a result of gynecologic problems by using multiple parameters like age, preoperative diagnosis and indications, operation types and times, complications, histopathologic diagnosis', hospitalization time and systemic diseases. A total of 214 cases were reviewed in case of gynecologic surgery, performed upon women of 60 years of age and older, between 1996 and 1997, in SSK Ege Maternity Hospital. There were 69 vaginal operations performed and 145 abdominal operations. 59 of the patients were operated because of malignancy. 16 postoperative complications were observed, without deaths. it can be concluded from this study that the elderly female patients can tolerate gynecologic surgery very well if prepared properly for the operation. Besides, it is clear that perioperative blood transfusion need increases and postoperative hospital stay lengthens, with increased sensitivity to postoperative follow-up, proportionally with the increasing age of the patients. Also the number of operations indicated because of the malignancy, increases, as expected, with the increasing age of the patients. Changes and diseases occurring in other systems, because of aging, will also create a problem for the indicated operations. So, if a gynecologic operation for a patient over 60 years old is necessary, these operations must be evaluated furtherly in case of results, morbidity and mortality together with possible cardiovascular, pulmonary and renal complications. Keywords : Elderly, Gynecologic operations, Morbidity, Tolerability