Estimated survival rates in a series of 7,922 operated elderly patients with a 2- to 17-year follow-up indicate that long-term prognosis in geriatric surgery as well as immediate prognosis are to a large extent determined by the frequent coexisting diseases and morbid conditions. Some of these, i.e. hepatic diseases, strokes, senile dementia, severe cardiac disease, renal insufficiency, and diabetes carry an obvious excess mortality, while patients with obesity and arterial hypertension have survival experience equal to that of a Danish population comparable with regard to period, age, and sex.