Surgery of the elderly Modena: “Here is the master” – Chronicle
Modena, 4 January 2022 – when the patient is elderly, the choice to have him undergo surgery it is even more delicate and requires even greater attention: the benefits of the operation must be evaluated but also the possible consequences, such as age-related complications or the possibility that the intervention reduces physical efficiency. The Master in Perioperative Medicine for the Elderly, which was started at the University of the Republic of San Marino, deals with these issues: the scientific direction is by Dr. Gabriella Bettelli, an anesthetist from Modena who has been studying in the geriatric field for several years, and Professor Antonio Crucitti of the Catholic University of Rome, a surgeon with extensive geriatric experience. The first year of the master has ended in recent days for eight professionals. Registrations will open in January for the new courses that will be open to students from all over the world: applications have already been received from Australia, Norway, Belgium, Switzerland and Hungary.
“The patient elder must be placed in the conditions of living ‘as a protagonist’ the surgical path, not to undergo it – explains Dr. Bettelli -. He must be well prepared with physical, adequate nutrition and exercise, where necessary, with the support of psychological and social support. He must be able to receive adequate treatment for pain, he must have his own privacy but also find spaces for socialization in the hospital that help him not to feel isolated. “The master deals with all aspects related to a surgical intervention at a mature age, including delirium which can have devastating effects also on families.
after having worked at the Sant’Agostino hospital in Modena with the teams of Professors Vecchiati, Bignardi and Zanetti, Gabriella Bettelli was appointed Assistant to the Anesthesia and Resuscitation Service of the Polyclinic in 1984, then in 2008 she became director of the Anesthesia Operating Unit and subsequently of the Department of Geriatric Surgery at the National Institute for Elderly Hospitalization and Care (Inrca) of Ancona, the only Italian research hospital with a geriatric address. The master is born from this professional path and is closely linked to the Master in Geriatrics of the University of San Marino, founded by Professor Giancarlo Ghironzi, whom Gabriella Bettelli attended seven years ago, presenting as a thesis a feasibility study for the Master which he now directs together with Professor Crucitti. “This training proposal is unique on the national territory, and at European level it joins only the Sorbonne in Paris – underlines Dr. Bettelli -. It is a virtuous path that qualifies our country as a leader in this field: after all, the data tell us that the ‘Italy, together with Japan, is the longest-lived reality in the world. And our roots must be preserved in the best possible way “.
cmq
© reserved reproduction