Some patients may experience fatigue following major surgery.
Postoperative fatigue may be transient or persistent.
Risk factors:
(1) older age
(2) malnutrition
(3) anemia
(4) hypothyroidism
(5) medications, especially with chemotherapy
(6) depression and/or anxiety
(7) cytokine release
(8) sleep disorder
(9) type of surgery and degree of surgical trauma (gastrectomy, other)
(10) deconditioning associated with immobilization and negative protein balance
(11) cultural expectations or acceptance of slow recovery
(12) preoperative fatigue or unhappiness
Persistent fatigue in an older adult may reflect the onset of frailty.
