Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common postoperative complication in the elderly patients. It significantly increases morbidity and mortality, elevates medical costs, and reduces the life quality of the patients. Evidence shows there are certain anesthesia risk factors having been proven to be associated with POCD, including the duration, type, drugs and depth of anesthesia, and postoperative analgesia. In this article, we reviewed the studies of anesthetic factors related to POCD in the elderly patients, and hoped to provide the theoretical basis for making sensible choices of high-risk patients so as to reduce its incidence.