Surgical precautions to maintain quality of life in patients aged more than 80 years with benign brain tumors

Abstract EN

As the average life expectancy is gradually increasing, more elderly patients are seen in neurosurgical clinics but those aged SO years or more pose significant medical and ethical dilemmas for neurosurgeons.

A retrospective study of eleven patients assessed the post-operative short term outcome in very old patients with benign brain tumors.

Six had total surgical excision and five had partial re¬section.

The outcome was good for six, unchanged in one and four died.

Post-operative intracranial complications were not tolerated and resulted in a poor outcome in this age group.

However, it is suggested that carefully selected patients over the age of 80 years with symptomatic benign brain tumors can be considered for surgical intervention.