Geriatric Surgery Service

Integrated Services & Care

Geriatric Surgery Service

Geriatric Surgery Service (GSS) is a trans-disciplinary team that cares for elderly patients with frailty conditions who needs major abdominal surgery.

Besides the surgeon, the team comprises of anaesthetists, geriatricians, cardiologists, nurses, physiotherapists, dietitians and medical social workers. Together they provide seamless care from diagnosis, through surgery and all the way beyond the hospital to the community.

The process starts when an elderly patient requiring a major abdominal surgery comes under the care of one of KTPH doctors. Cases that meet the criteria are then referred to the service for holistic management.

Start-to-Finish Programme

This model deploys an enhanced team-based approach to specifically cater to the unique needs of elderly surgical patients. Compared to younger patients, elderly patients face a relatively higher risk of developing complications after major surgery. This may be due to existing heart conditions, functional disability, and/or frailty.

Patient Journey

In the care of GSS team, the patient and family members are engaged to discuss personalised treatment goals and plans. The journey is then coordinated from the time of decision for surgery through the following steps: