There are health concerns and risks for everyone who undergoes
surgery, and not just for the elderly. But there are also clear benefits for
older people who opt for joint replacements and other major surgeries. Health Briefs TV looks at the pros of surgery for older people.
It is hard for anyone to fathom the pain, lack of mobility
and inconvenience of joint replacement surgery. Imagine then being in your 80s
and 90s and having a joint replaced. Many older people are willing to go
through difficult joint replacement surgeries in order to improve their quality
of life. Others opt for major organ surgery for the same reason.
As the world population lives longer, choosing surgery to
improve or replace parts and organs worn out is a personal decision, and one that
can be hard for the patient’s family to understand. But quality of life is valued
by almost everyone. Simple activities people don’t think about such as getting
in and out of a car, walking into a grocery store, or descending a set of
stairs are challenging and often painful for the elderly with worn out joints.
Joint replacement surgery can be a life changer for the older parent.
Health Briefs TV suggests talking with older relatives and
friends who opt for major surgery. Listen to their reasons, their anxiety,
their hopes for a positive outcome, without judgment. Sometimes, the best thing
that can happen is to get a new lease on life. It doesn’t really matter how
much time is left on that lease. No one knows that anyway.
