Editorials and commentaries
25 June 2025
Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025)
https://doi.org/10.4081/sigaf.2025.21

The role of geriatric liaison teams in general surgery: a necessity, not an option

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Geriatric surgery, frailty, comprehensive geriatric assessment, perioperative care
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Authors

Neng Gao
neng.gao@nhs.scot
Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Xin-Yin Choo
Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Francis P. Robertson
Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert, Scotland, United Kingdom.

As healthcare systems worldwide contend with an aging population, the demand for surgical services among older adults continues to rise. The National Health Service (NHS) data show a steady increase in hospital admissions for older patients, with many presenting with complex general surgical conditions such as bowel obstruction, ischemia, perforation, and inflammatory diseases like diverticulitis and appendicitis. These patients often have multiple comorbidities, homeostenosis (reduced physiological reserve), and varying degrees of frailty, all of which contribute to higher postoperative complication rates, prolonged hospital stays, and increased mortality. [...]

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The role of geriatric liaison teams in general surgery: a necessity, not an option. (2025). Surgery in Geriatrics and Frailty, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/sigaf.2025.21
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