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Methods| In this cohort study conducted from February 2021 to March 2022, we performed a retrospective analysis of data from the Health and Retirement Study linked with Medicare claims (2004-2016). We identified participants aged 65 years or older undergoing general, plastic, vascular, or gynecological surgery. Patients without continuous enrollment in Medicare Part A and B or with missing loneliness data were excluded (eFigure in the Supplement). The University of Michigan Institutional Review Board classified the study as exempt from approval and informed consent because data were deidentified. We followed the (STROBE) reporting guideline. Loneliness was calculated using a validated 3-item survey. Each item was measured using a 3-point scale (“often” was codedas1,“sometimes” as2, and “hardlyever/never” as3), 5 then reverse-scored and averaged to calculate a loneliness score (range, 0-3, with …