I thought it was rather
interesting when I was looking for information on surgical interventions, that
people were investigating cosmetic procedures first and foremost. As a senior you have come to realize that a
few things are more important than a few nips and tucks. Seniors are more apt to be dealing with
quality of life issues. Still, the older you get, the more likely it is that
you will need an operation. I read an article in the Herald on September 9,
2009 by Tawny McCray that touched on some issues that need to be considered
when deciding on elective surgery.
As we age, we accumulate
damage to our joints so it is pretty common for seniors to consider hip, knee
and other replacement surgeries. They
may also be candidates for procedures related to peripheral vascular disease, cardiac
surgery, or cancer treatments. The
article points out that for seniors it is especially important to understand
all the ramifications of a surgical intervention. Make sure that you feel
comfortable with the reasons why it is being recommended and what the expected
outcome will be. It is important to be
well informed.
Having reasonable
expectations about the outcome is important.
No surgery is going to make you feel 20 again so your goals are going to
be a little different than they were 40-50 or even 60 years ago. The primary considerations are whether it
will improve the quality of your life, increase your longevity and decrease
your pain.
Seniors expect to live longer and be more
active now and as a result they expect more from life. They want to enjoy active pursuits and are no
longer content to sit around suffering in silence. For most elective surgeries,
older patients do almost as well as younger ones do. Be
informed, have reasonable expectations about what needs to be done and why it
is an option for you.
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