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Chapter 7 - The Aging Surgeon

from Part I - General Ethics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 May 2020

By
Stephen Honeybul  and
Gene Bolles
Edited by
Stephen Honeybul
Stephen Honeybul
Affiliation:
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Royal Perth and Fiona Stanley Hospitals
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Summary

Over the past two hundred years the average global life expectancy has increased from just over thirty years of age to well over seventy years of age. There are many reasons for this ranging from the eradication of certain diseases, life style changes and improvements in public health. As people have lived longer, so they have worked longer, and this is reflected in the changing demographic of the workforce. However, notwithstanding this increase in life expectancy the aging process can takes in toll in terms of cognitive and functional decline which may have an impact on the ability of the older person to perform satisfactorily in the workplace. Where this involves physicians and surgeons there is obvious concern for patient safety.

Keywords

cognitive declinesurgical retirementaging in surgery
Type
Chapter
Information
Ethics in Neurosurgical Practice , pp. 64 - 72
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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References

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