Frailty: the perioperative and anesthesia challenges of an emerging pandemic

Abstract

Frailty is a complex and multisystem biological process characterized by reductions in physiological reserve. It is an increasingly common phenomena in the surgical population, and significantly impacts postoperative recovery. In this review, we will discuss the pathophysiology of frailty, as well as preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative considerations for frailty care. We will also discuss the different models of postoperative care, including enhanced recovery pathways, as well as elective critical care admission. With discoveries of new effective interventions, and advances in healthcare information technology, optimized pathways could be developed to provide the best care possible that meets the challenges of perioperative frailty.

Fried Frailty Phenotype Questionnaire scores and postoperative patient‐reported outcomes of patients undergoing major abdominal cancer surgery: A secondary analysis

“…Previous studies have investigated the association between increasing age and postoperative outcomes; however, in recent years, the focus has shifted to patient-specific reserve capacity, such as physical and nutritional status. [1][2][3][4][5] Frailty is a condition characterized by decreased reserves and reduced resistance to stressors, such as surgery, resulting in an increased risk of adverse outcomes, including postoperative functional disability and mortality. [6][7][8] Two conceptual frameworks have been used to assess frailty: the phenotype and accumulating deficit models.…”