CORTERAS STUDY: The Effect of Corticosteroids on Early Recovery After Major Surgery in Elderly Patients

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 60 years or older. * Scheduled for one of the predefined surgical procedures: * off-pump coronary bypass surgery * on-pump coronary bypass surgery * aortic and mitral valve replacement * laparoscopic hemicolectomies * thoracoscopic lung resections * femoral popliteal and tibial bypass surgery and femoral profundoplasty * laparoscopic radical prostatectomies Exclusion Criteria: * Lack of informed consent or inability to give informed consent. * Severe postoperative nausea \& vomiting (PONV), needing corticosteroids as PONV prophylaxis. * Urgent, not elective surgery * Hypersensitivity or known allergic reactions to methylprednisolone * Preoperative systemic use of steroids: * Including, but not limited to, the use of corticosteroids \> 4 weeks before surgery of at least 4 mg methylprednisolone equivalents. * Excluding inhalational and topical steroids * Preexisting muscle disease o Including, but not limited to: Steinert's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Duchenne dystrophy, amputation of dominant arm or hand.