Background and Objectives: The present study consists of 37 consecutive elderly patients treated surgically for fracture of the hip at Tertiary care Hospital, Surat from August 2016 to December 2018. Of these 31 patients were available for follow up and were evaluated to study the functional outcome of early versus delayed surgery for fracture of hip.

Methods:18 patients with intertrochanteric fracture treated by internal fixation with dynamic hip screw and the remaining 13 patients who had fracture neck of femur were treated with arthroplasty. 6 in the intertrochanteric fracture group and 4 in the fracture neck group were operated with 72 hours after injury and the remaining were operated after 72 hours. The pre–existing medical conditions, intra–operative and post–operative complications were documented. The functional results at the end of one year were judged according to the hip rating scale of Merle d’Aubigine.

Results:26% of patients in the intertrochanteric fracture group and 28% of patients   in fracture neck group who were operated later than 72 hours had died at 12 month follow–up compared to 17% and 12.5% respectively in those patients who were operated early.  The operative delay had a direct bearing on  1  year mortality so  also on the development of pressure sores and increased length of hospital stay.

Interpretation and Conclusion:Operative delay of more than 72  hours in elderly patients with fracture of  hip results in increased incidence of pressure sore formation, increased length of hospital stay and significantly increases mortality at 1 year follow – up