Quality of life assessment in geriatric surgery.

An excessive number of studies on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has rendered results often contradictory and difficult to interpret. HRQOL evaluation in the aged is even more difficult, due to intrinsic conceptual and methodological problems. Since no structured instruments are available for use in geriatric surgery, it would be necessary either to work out a new specific instrument or to adapt/adopt an already existing method.