Krause BM, et al. - In this prospective longitudinal cohort study, researchers quantified the connection between major surgery and the age-related cognitive trajectory. The study sample consisted of 7,532 people identified with a small decrease in cognitive performance associated with surgery, equivalent to less than 5 months of mean cognitive decline. According to findings, major surgery was linked to a small, long-term change in the cognitive average trajectory, which is less profound than for major medical admissions. Following surgery, the odds of significant cognitive decline were about doubled, but lower than for medical admissions. The authors noted that these data should be weighed against the potential health advantages of surgery during informed consent.