A recent study suggests that the effects of a major surgery may go beyond pain and mobility issues, potentially causing a decline in memory and thinking abilities.
Researchers followed 560 adults aged over 70 who showed no signs of dementia before undergoing major surgeries such as hip replacements and abdominal operations. They tracked the participants for up to six years to observe changes in their memory, thinking skills, and overall brain health.
The findings, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, pointed to a group of conditions known as postoperative neurocognitive disorders (PND), which can affect brain function after surgery. It found that nearly 15% of participants experienced a sharp decline in cognitive abilities shortly after surgery. Their memory and thinking skills continued to worsen over time.
About one in four patients maintained their mental sharpness without any noticeable decline. Around 59% experienced a small drop in cognitive abilities, which researchers said was in line with normal aging. However, a smaller group showed a much steeper decline in mental performance that continued to worsen over the years.
Among all the factors studied, delirium, a state of sudden confusion that can occur after surgery, was found to be the strongest predictor of long-term cognitive decline. Patients who developed delirium were twice as likely to experience severe deterioration in memory and thinking skills compared to those who did not.
The researchers said the findings offer important insights into how major surgery may affect long-term brain health in older adults. However, they noted that larger and more diverse studies are needed before the results can be widely applied in clinical practice.
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