I am an older person and am afraid that major surgery will be too much for me. Do older people do well after a cystectomy? This is a valid concern and one that many physicians share. How old is too old? The answer here is encouraging.
Two studies have looked at radical cystectomies performed in patients in their 80s. Both studies found that although there was a slightly higher risk of complications from the surgery, most of the increased risk was due to other illnesses. That is, a healthy 85 year old should do just as well as a healthy 65 year old.
Older patients are more likely to have other medical conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes, that will add to the risk of the procedure. There is no such thing as too old. If you are relatively healthy and have a disease that could be cured by surgery, then you should discuss surgery in detail with your doctor.