Adverse outcomes after elective surgery, including postoperative complications and long length of stay (LOS), are more common in older than in younger persons but are correlated less with older age itself than with frailty and higher comorbidity in this population. Geriatric assessment tools and comorbidity scores are validated predictors of postoperative complication risk. Some risk factors that geriatric assessments identify are potentially modifiable through optimization of functional impairments and medical comorbidities. Evidence is slowly building for better outcomes for older adults undergoing elective surgery who receive collaborative pre-and postsurgical care from geriatrics teams. Northern Health, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, introduced the PRoactive Intervention and Medical assessment in Elderly adults (PRIME) multidisciplinary geriatric outpatient service in 2010 to address the preoperative care needs of this population.
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