BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:PhD defence A. Stolze METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260202T134500 DTEND:20260202T151500 DTSTAMP:20260202T134500 UID:phd-defence-a-stolze@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260925T024127 LOCATION: SUMMARY:PhD defence A. Stolze X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Risk stratification and early detection and management of postoperative complications in an aging population

Complications in the elderly after su rgery: better prediction is necessary, additional checkups alone are not enough

Hospitals u se various risk scores and checkups to predict which patients may exp erience problems after surgery. Stolze focused on how well these exis ting scores work in elderly people and whether additional, planned ch eckups by an anesthesiologist after surgery contribute to better outc omes, such as fewer complications, lower mortality, and a better qual ity of life.

The research results show that while the current r isk scores do provide some insight into which elderly patients are at increased risk, they are far from accurate. In other words, they hel p, but still leave too much uncertainty. Furthermore, Stolze demonstr ates that a standard additional visit by an anesthesiologist after su rgery, in addition to usual care, does not significantly improve mort ality rates, the number of complications, or the perceived quality of life of patients.

This does not mean that aftercare by anesthe siologists is unimportant, but it does mean that additional checkups do not automatically lead to better results. A key finding is that an esthesiologists' advice is not always followed in practice. Moreover, the risk of death in the group studied was lower than expected, maki ng the effect of additional care more difficult to demonstrate.

Healthcare is under pressure due to staff shortages and increasing d emand. Stolze's research underscores that adding standard additional care for all elderly patients is not effective. Instead, a more targe ted approach is needed, specifically identifying the most vulnerable elderly and providing them with additional support.

According t o Stolze, the future lies in better personalized care. This can be ac hieved, for example, through improved risk models and the use of smar t technology, such as continuous monitoring, to detect deterioration more quickly. This research makes it clear to patients, healthcare pr oviders, and policymakers that investing in targeted and smart afterc are is essential to improve the quality of care for the elderly and t o keep care affordable and feasible.

More information on the thesis

DESCRIPTION: Risk stratification and early detection and management of postoperative complications in an aging population

Complications in the elderly after surgery: better prediction is necessary, additi onal checkups alone are not enough

Due to the aging population, m ore and more elderly people are undergoing surgery. Although surgery is often necessary to improve quality of life, older patients have an increased risk of complications after the procedure. Annick Stolze's research shows that the current way hospitals assess and monitor the se risks is still insufficiently tailored to this growing patient gro up.Hospitals use various risk scores and checkups to predict which pa tients may experience problems after surgery. Stolze focused on how w ell these existing scores work in elderly people and whether addition al, planned checkups by an anesthesiologist after surgery contribute to better outcomes, such as fewer complications, lower mortality, and a better quality of life.The research results show that while the cu rrent risk scores do provide some insight into which elderly patients are at increased risk, they are far from accurate. In other words, t hey help, but still leave too much uncertainty. Furthermore, Stolze d emonstrates that a standard additional visit by an anesthesiologist a fter surgery, in addition to usual care, does not significantly impro ve mortality rates, the number of complications, or the perceived qua lity of life of patients.This does not mean that aftercare by anesthe siologists is unimportant, but it does mean that additional checkups do not automatically lead to better results. A key finding is that an esthesiologists' advice is not always followed in practice. Moreover, the risk of death in the group studied was lower than expected, maki ng the effect of additional care more difficult to demonstrate.Health care is under pressure due to staff shortages and increasing demand. Stolze's research underscores that adding standard additional care fo r all elderly patients is not effective. Instead, a more targeted app roach is needed, specifically identifying the most vulnerable elderly and providing them with additional support.According to Stolze, the future lies in better personalized care. This can be achieved, for ex ample, through improved risk models and the use of smart technology, such as continuous monitoring, to detect deterioration more quickly. This research makes it clear to patients, healthcare providers, and p olicymakers that investing in targeted and smart aftercare is essenti al to improve the quality of care for the elderly and to keep care af fordable and feasible.More information on the thesis END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR