Background Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is one of the most common complications after surgery in elderly patients and the mechanism is unclear. The study found that the silent information regulator 2(SIRT2) plays an important role in neurodegeneration diseases. Objective To review the potential links between SIRT2 and Postoperative cognitive dysfunction. Content In recent years, a large number of animal experiments and in vitro studies indicate that SIRT2 involves in regulating of inflammatory and apoptotic response of nerve cells which is the main mechanism of POCD. Trend The pathogenesis of POCD has not been clarified for years and the deveiopment of POCD is ambiguous and further research is needed.