What is the prevalence of impaired cognitive domains in surgical patients? A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Cognitive domains were impaired preoperatively in 12% to 18% of surgical patients. The most commonly impaired domains were executive function, visuospatial function, and attention/working memory/processing speed. One-week post-surgery, the prevalence of impaired cognitive domains rose to 28% to 35%, then decreased by three months to levels similar to preoperative rates (12% to 16%). Identifying commonly impaired cognitive domains can inform the selection of cognitive screening tools to assess surgical patients at greater risk for adverse outcomes.