Rethinking Anesthesia for Senior Patients: Age is Just a Number, Frailty is a Risk

Does age increase anesthesia risk in veterinary patients? Not necessarily. This episode of the VetFolio Voice podcast explores the critical difference between chronological age and true physiologic risk factors during anesthesia. While age-related physiologic changes may become more common as patients grow older, it is the presence and severity of those changes—not the number of birthdays—that influence anesthetic risk and decision-making.