Table 1.

Proposed definitions for perioperative care of elderly surgical patients undergoing major abdominal surgery

Term	Definitions
Elderly	Any person 65 years or older. “Elderly” and “Older Adult” can be used interchangeably
Frailty	State of increased vulnerability to stress from aging-associated decline in reserve and function across multiple physiologic systems
Prehabilitation	Process of improving functional capability of a patient prior to a surgical procedure. Prehabilitation programs use a combination of physical and cognitive exercise, nutritional supplementation, smoking cessation, and stress reduction to improve preoperative functional status and postoperative outcomes. The elements are timing before surgery are not universal
Anemia	A hemoglobin level less than 13 g/dL in men and less than 12 g/dL in women
Alcohol cessation	Stopping consumption of alcohol-containing beverages for at least 30 days prior to surgery, with a lack of alcohol-related withdrawal symptoms, including nausea; vomiting; fast heart rate; agitation; headache; sweating; and delirium tremens present at the time of surgery
Tobacco cessation	The process of discontinuing tobacco smoking and any nicotine-containing replacements, including patches, chewing gums, lozenges, nasal spray, and inhalers for at least 30 days prior to surgery
Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS)	Any laparoscopic, robotic, endoluminal, or assisted procedure
Conversion to open	Change from a MIS to open surgical approach outside of specimen extraction to complete a procedure
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)	Multimodal perioperative care pathways designed to achieve early recovery after major surgery by using evidence-based interventions. ERAS protocols encompass multiple components across preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative periods, a distinction from prehabilitation programs