[Major gynecological operations on women of 80 years of age or more (author's transl)].

Because of the greater life expectancy of women, the length of the post-menopausal period has also been constantly increasing. Since there is no generally accepted definition of the late post-menopause and senium in women, we submit a suggestion of how these periods of life may be deliminated. During the years 1960--1969 6662 female patients aged 60 years or more, were operated on in 17 different Westberliner departments of gynecology. Of these 3.9% (i.e. 261 cases) were major gynecological operations on women of 80 years or more: 155 were malignant and 37 benign tumors, 59 were due to displacement of the uterus (11 cases of minor descended uterus and 48 cases of fully prolapsed uterus) and 10 other diseases. The postoperative death rate was 13.4% (36 cases). In spite of such mortality these major operations were generally considered necessary and beneficial in women of this age group. Among other reasons, cancer-screening examinations of old women should be done more regularly than at present because of the multi-morbidity occurring at this age.