LAS VEGAS, Oct 26, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Nearly half of all U.S. seniors who have major surgery experience measurable "cognitive decline" within two years of the procedure.

Duke University Medical Center researchers, speaking to a Las Vegas medical conference Tuesday, also said that, besides the two-year measurement, 59 percent of patients experienced cognitive decline immediately after their procedure. These patients are at the highest risk for long-term cognitive decline. Three months after surgery, 34 percent of patients had measurable cognitive declines.

The phenomena is well established for those who have had heart surgery, but this study extends to non-heart procedures.

"Our study showed that elderly patients experience a high prevalence and persistence of cognitive decline after major, non-cardiac surgery, characterized by early improvement followed by later decline," said Duke anesthesiologist Terri Monk.

"The issue of cognitive decline after surgery in the elderly population is a very important one that has not received adequate study.

This pattern of a steep decline in cognitive function after surgery, followed by short-term improvement and a longer term decline, mirrors the findings of an earlier Duke study of patients undergoing heart surgery.

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