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Benign Disease of the Gallbladder and Pancreas in the Elderly

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Principles and Practice of Geriatric Surgery

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Abstract

Benign disorders of both the gallbladder and pancreas are important diseases to account for within the elderly population. The incidence of cholelithiasis increases with age, and acute cholecystitis is a common presentation in the elderly. Pancreatic disease including pancreatitis, most likely due to gallstones, is less common in the elderly, compared to the general population. Elderly patients are more likely to present with nonspecific, constitutional symptoms often leading to a delay in diagnosis. However, many of the diagnostic modalities and treatment algorithms essentially remain the same as endoscopic, percutaneous, and surgical interventions are safe and feasible in the elderly population. The higher risk of morbidity and mortality with biliary or pancreatic disease is due to decreased reserve and exacerbation of comorbidities making it critical to identify and optimize the comorbidities of these patients. A multidisciplinary team approach to a focused comprehensive geriatric assessment in the perioperative period helps identify risk factors and informs postoperative management, with improved outcomes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Morgan L. Cox

  2. Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA

    Alexander Perez

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  1. Morgan L. Cox
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  2. Alexander Perez
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Correspondence to Alexander Perez .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Surgical Service, Yale University School of Medicine VA Connecticut Health Care System, West Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Ronnie A. Rosenthal

  2. SUNY Downstate School of Public Health, National Capital Region Johns Hopkins Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Michael E. Zenilman

  3. Center for Geriatric Surgery, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Mark R. Katlic

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA

    Jason Johanning

  2. Duke Medicine, Durham, NC, USA

    Sandhya Lagoo-Deenadayalan

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Cox, M.L., Perez, A. (2017). Benign Disease of the Gallbladder and Pancreas in the Elderly. In: Rosenthal, R., Zenilman, M., Katlic, M. (eds) Principles and Practice of Geriatric Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20317-1_68-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20317-1_68-1

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