‘I almost died:’ Troubling number of Canadian seniors struggle to recover from surgery, study suggests

A new study warns of the serious post-op risk for seniors. Adrian Ghobrial looks at the experiences of older Canadians after major surgery.

A new Canada-wide medical study has revealed that a troubling number of senior citizens are struggling to recover following surgery.

More than 2,000 Canadian seniors, aged 65 and older, were enrolled in the national study by a team of doctors from across the country.

Their investigation found that within the first six months following a major, noncardiac surgery, one in six are suffering from a new disability, while others may have died.

Many are suffering and unable “to think clearly, to take care of oneself, to be able to move around, to be able to engage with family, in social activities those were things they were not able to do,” shared Dr. Duminda Wijeysundera, physician-scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital, part of Unity Health Toronto, and one of the study’s lead researchers.

The road to recovery following a major abdominal surgery for 76-year-old Sandra Espinosa has been fraught with challenges.

“My intestine exploded, which led to major, major infections,” shared Espinosa.

In July, she had emergency surgery at a Toronto hospital due to a bowel loop, telling CTV News she went in praying for a good outcome.

“During the surgery, my heart stopped, I literally died on the table and was revived, thankfully. My hemoglobin count dropped, and I was spontaneously bleeding post-surgery, so I had to be given two life-saving transfusions,” shared Espinosa.

Four months later, Espinosa says she’s still struggling to find her footing doing what used to be normal daily tasks.

“I find it difficult to stand up and wash dishes. Something that was so simple, but it’s not simple for me anymore. I can’t pick up my dogs anymore,” she said. “It’s been really tough.”

The study has found that patients experiencing these newfound post-operation disabilities are six times more likely to suffer significant depression, while also being more than twice as likely to regret their decision to have surgery.

‘Patients need more information’: senior

However, researchers say there are some positives that have come out of the study.

“Seventy per cent of patients survive surgery, they’re functional and that’s great,” said Wijeysundera. “Though we still have a proportion, one in six, that struggle. We now understand how often that occurs so we can communicate with patients, we can have this discussion that we need to have more often before surgery.”

The Toronto-based anesthesiologist believes more can be done to better prepare Canadians of all ages ahead of a major surgery.

“None of us would choose to run a marathon tomorrow without preparing, yet we get people to go through the very stressful and physical experiences of surgery, without much in the way of preparation,” pointed out Wijeysundera.

The researchers also found that patients and health-care providers need to reset post-surgery expectations. The study uncovered that it’s taking the average senior in Canada three to six months to recover and function as they were before surgery.

“Patients need more information; it would have helped me greatly to have a better understanding of what I’d be up against,” said Espinosa.

“I almost died; I almost became a post-surgery statistic. Post-surgery is a long battle,” she added.

Espinosa hopes that her story and this new study will kickstart vital conversations between Canadians and their doctors across the country.

With files from CTV News Senior Producer Kristen Yu