Active seniors demanding surgery

Burton, a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, predicts a rise in the number of geriatric surgeons as doctors realize that managing an elderly patient’s care requires special knowledge.

At age 91, Katie Shears wasn’t an obvious candidate for surgery to remove a tumor, said Dr. Michael Simon, an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Chicago. Most patients her age, not counting on many more years of life, would choose radiation alone to treat the cancer growing in her thigh, he said.

But Shears chose radiation and surgery, and the doctor went along with the decision, although he feared she would end up sicker, facing a long hospital stay.

Shears surprised the surgeon. “She whizzed through it with no complications at all,” Simon said. She now is free of cancer and is back home with her daughter in the Avalon Park neighborhood of Chicago.

“I talked to God about it and asked him to be with the doctor to give him the knowledge to do it,” she said.

Buffalo, the singer who had spine surgery, said he’s free of the excruciating back pain that had slowed him down. He said the pain from surgery and the hard work of physical therapy are worth the results.

“I don’t care if I have one year left or three or six,” Buffalo said. “I want to be able to go and see my grandkids.”

MORE FROM AGING

Aging Section Front

Slow walkers more likely to die of heart disease Internet alters older brains in just one week American lifespans greatly exaggerated? Your ultimate brainpower workout 10 tricks to reboot your brain Longer lives may be lasting upside to recession Many babies born this century may live to 100 Dementia toll climbs to 35 million worldwide Denture cream overdoses spur illness, lawsuits Exercise can extend survival even in ‘oldest old’ Aging Section Front   Add Aging headlines to your news reader: