METHODS
This prospective observer blind cohort study was conducted at Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital between June 2014 and March 2015 after obtaining approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee (dated on 06/18/2014 and numbered E-14-216) and written informed consent from the patients. The inclusion criteria were fluency in Turkish, age ≥ 65, ASA I–III, and being scheduled for elective inguinal herniorrhaphy. The exclusion criteria were an MMSE score < 24 in preoperative examination, suffering from diseases of the central nervous system, use of antidepressant or antipsychotic medication, alcohol or drug abuse, and being illiterate.
The MMSE and MoCA scores were evaluated in a quiet room and recorded by a blinded researcher during the preoperative visit at a desk and one day after the operation in quiet conditions in the sickbed. During the preoperative examination, we recorded the patient’s age, gender, ASA score, BMI, comorbidities, information on previous anesthesia management, and routine intraoperative monitoring data (non-invasive blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse oximetry) from the patient’s medical file. Postoperative complications and discharge times were also noted.