[Nononcologic abdominal surgery in the elderly].

Due to rising life expectancy of the population, the proportion of elderly patients requiring surgery is rising as well. Present aspects of selected, typical, nononcologic diseases of elderly people are discussed. The key to success in their treatment is not to consider primarily the patient's calendrical age but to assess the individual profile of risk factors on the basis of comorbidities. The kind, extent, and timing of an operation has to be based on this assessment. For the treatment of acute diseases (e.g., complicated ulcera, cholecystitis, appendicitis, mesenteric ischemia, and diverticulitis), a rapid and efficacious diagnostic algorithm is essential that takes into account the reduced functional reserve of old people. Constructive interdisciplinary cooperation and minimally invasive techniques play dominant roles in both diagnosis and therapy. Given these prerequisites, there is no reason to withhold surgical intervention from elderly patients.