There were 3 representative declining patterns in the postoperative course of ADL.
In pattern A the ADL deteriorated immediately after surgery and remained low (or had some recovery but did not reach the preoperative level);
in pattern B the ADL fell immediately after surgery, but recovered completely or almost completely to the preoperative level briefly, followed by a second decline after discharge from the hospital;
and in pattern C the ADL did not decrease until discharge from the hospital. The proportions of patients showing patterns A, B, and C were 11%, 40%, and 49%, respectively. Overall, the ADL of elderly patients was likely to decrease after discharge from the hospital, regardless of whether they had a brief recovery from their initial drop or no decline at all during their hospital stay.