Surgery and anesthesia produce a relatively stronger adverse effect on the elderly than on a younger brain, which manifests itself in a greater prevalence of post-surgery delirium (PSD) and post-surgery cognitive dysfunction (PSCD). Post-surgery delirium and cognitive dysfunction delay the recovery and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality among elderly surgical patients. In the past decade, there has been growing concern about whether anesthesia may be harmful to the brain of an elderly patient as they often experience post-surgery cognitive failure.
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