Colon resection in elderly patients: Comparison of data of a single surgical department with collective data from the Czech Republic

Colorectal cancer is predominantly a disease of elderly people, since over 70% of cases occur in those aged 65 years or older. Clinicians have to frequently decide whether major surgery is justified in elderly patients with a limited life expectancy. Our retrospective study was aimed to compare outcomes of primary surgery for colorectal cancer in the elderly patient population. The evaluated data were collected from the 1st Department of Surgery, Charles University, and from all over the Czech Republic. Patients were divided into three groups: the young-old (21-59 years), the older-old (60-69 years), and the oldest-old (>69 years) patients. In the collective data the youngest and the oldest groups differ significantly in the rate of early postoperative complications (12.3% versus 17.6%, p < 0.001). The number of complications associated with the emergency procedures was twice as high compared to elective surgery in all groups (p < 0.001). There was no correlation between age and length of hospital stay in the single surgery department. These data suggest that major oncology procedures may be undertaken in older patients in whom operative risk is reasonable, with acceptable rates of complications.