A prospective study examining the association between preoperative frailty and postoperative complications in patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery

Preoperative frailty and postoperative complications after non-cardiac surgery: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Many tools have been used to assess frailty in the perioperative setting. However, no single scale has been shown to be the most effective in predicting postoperative complications. We evaluated the relationship between several frailty scales and the occurrence of complications following different non-cardiac surgeries.

METHODS

This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023473401). The search strategy included PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase, covering manuscripts published from January 2000 to July 2023. We included prospective and retrospective studies that evaluated frailty using specific scales and tracked patients postoperatively. Studies on cardiac, neurosurgical, and thoracic surgery were excluded because of the impact of underlying diseases on patients' functional status. Narrative reviews, conference abstracts, and articles lacking a comprehensive definition of frailty were excluded.

RESULTS

Of the 2204 articles identified, 145 were included in the review: 7 on non-cardiac surgery, 36 on general and digestive surgery, 19 on urology, 22 on vascular surgery, 36 on spinal surgery, and 25 on orthopedic/trauma surgery. The reviewed manuscripts confirmed that various frailty scales had been used to predict postoperative complications, mortality, and hospital stay across these surgical disciplines.

CONCLUSION

Despite differences among surgical populations, preoperative frailty assessment consistently predicts postoperative outcomes in non-cardiac surgeries.

Differences in preoperative frailty assessment of surgical candidates by sex, age, and race

Introduction

Surgical decision-making often relies on a surgeon's subjective assessment of a patient's frailty status to undergo surgery. Certain patient demographics can influence subjective judgment when compared to validated objective assessments. In this study, we explore the relationship between subjective and objective frailty assessments according to patient age, sex, and race.

Methods

Patients were prospectively enrolled in urology, general surgery, and surgical oncology clinics. Using a visual analog scale (0-100), operating surgeons independently rated the patient's frailty status. Objective frailty was classified using the Fried Frailty Criteria ranging from 0 to 5. Multivariable proportional odds models were conducted to examine the potential association of factors with objective frailty, according to surgeon frailty rating. Subgroup analysis according to patient sex, race, and age was also performed.

Results

Seven male surgeons assessed 203 patients preoperatively with a median age of 65. A majority of patients were male (61 %), white (67 %), and 60 % and 40 % underwent urologic and general surgery/surgical oncology procedures respectively. Increased subjective surgeon rating (OR 1.69; p < 0.001) was significantly associated with the presence of objective frailty. On subgroup analysis, a higher magnitude of such association was observed more in females (OR 1.86; p = 0.0007), non-white (OR 1.84; p = 0.0019), and older (>60, OR 1.75; p = 0.0001) patients, compared to male (OR 1.45; p = 0.0243), non-white (OR 1.48; p = 0.0109) and patients under 60 (OR 1.47; p = 0.0823).

Conclusion

The surgeon's subjective assessment of frailty demonstrated tendencies to rate older, female, and non-white patients as frail; however, differences in patient sex, age, and race were not statistically significant.

Frailty assessment tools predict perioperative outcome in elderly patients with endometrial cancer better than age or BMI alone: a retrospective observational cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Five commonly used global health assessment tools have been evaluated to identify and assess the preoperative frailty status and its relationship with perioperative in-hospital complications and transfusion rates in older women with endometrial cancer (EC).

METHODS

Preoperative frailty status was examined by the G8 questionnaire, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, the Charlson Comorbidity Index and the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status System, as well as the Lee-Schonberg prognostic index. The main outcome measures were perioperative laboratory values, intraoperative surgical parameters and immediately postoperative complications.

RESULTS

153 consecutive women ≥ 60 years with all stages of EC, who received primary elective surgery at the University Medical Center Mainz between 2008 and 2019 were classified with selected global health assessment tools according to their preoperative performance status. In contrast to conventional prognostic parameters like older age and higher BMI, increasing frailty was significantly associated with preoperative anemia and perioperative transfusions (p < 0.05). Moreover, in patients preoperatively classified as frail significantly more postoperative complications (G8 Score: frail: 20.7% vs. non-frail: 6.7%, p = 0.028; ECOG: frail: 40.9% vs. non-frail: 2.8%, p = 0.002; and CCI: frail: 25.0% vs. non-frail: 7.4%, p = 0.003) and an increased length of hospitalization were recorded. According to propensity score matching, the risk for developing postoperative complications for frail patients was approximately two-fold higher, depending on which global health assessment tool was used.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperatively assessed frailty significantly predicts post-surgical morbidity rates in contrast to conventionally used single prognostic parameters such as age or BMI. A standardized preoperative assessment of frailty in the routine work-up might be beneficial in older cancer patients before major surgery to include these patients in a prehabilitation program with nutrition counseling and physiotherapy to adequately assess the perioperative risk.

Influence of interdisciplinary frailty screening on perioperative complication rates in elderly ovarian cancer patients: results of a retrospective observational study

Purpose

Frailty is a frequent and underdiagnosed multidimensional age-related syndrome, involving decreased physiological performance reserves and marked vulnerability against major stressors. To standardize the preoperative frailty assessment and identify patients at risk of adverse surgical outcomes, commonly used global health assessment tools were evaluated. We aimed to assess three interdisciplinary preoperative screening assessments to investigate the influence of frailty status with in-hospital complications irrespective of surgical complexity and radicality in older women with ovarian cancer (OC).

Methods

Preoperative frailty status was examined by the G8 geriatric screening tool (G8 Score-geriatric screening), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS-oncological screening), and American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status System (ASA PS-anesthesiologic screening). The main outcome measures were the relationship between perioperative laboratory results, intraoperative surgical parameters and the incidence of immediate postoperative in-hospital complications with the preoperative frailty status.

Results

116 consecutive women 60 years and older (BMI 24.8 ± 5.2 kg/m2) with OC, who underwent elective oncological surgery in University Medical Center Mainz between 2008 and 2019 were preoperatively classified with the selected global health assessment tools as frail or non-frail. The rate of preoperative anemia (hemoglobin ≤ 12 g/dl) and perioperative transfusions were significantly higher in the G8-frail group (65.9% vs. 34.1%; p = 0.006 and 62.7% vs. 41.8%, p = 0.031; respectively). In addition, patients preoperatively classified as G8-frail exhibited significantly more postoperative clinical in-hospital complications (27.8% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.045) independent of chronological age and BMI. In contrast, ECOG PS and ASA PS did not predict the rates of postoperative complications (all p values > 0.05). After propensity score matching, the complication rate in the G8-frail cohort was approximately 1.7 times more common than in the G8-non-frail cohort.

Conclusion

Preoperative frailty assessment with the G8 Score identified elderly women with OC recording a significantly higher rate of postoperative in-hospital complications. In G8-frail patients, preoperative anemia and perioperative transfusions were significantly more recorded, regardless of chronological age, abnormal BMI and surgical complexity. Standardized preoperative frailty assessment should be added to clinical routine care to enhance risk stratification in older cancer individuals for surgical patient-centered decision-making.

Impact of Frailty on Postoperative Outcomes in Patients undergoing TransCarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR)

BACKGROUND

Frailty is a clinical syndrome characterized by reduction in metabolic reserves leading to increased susceptibility to adverse outcomes following invasive surgical interventions. The 5-item modified frailty index (mFI-5) validated in prior studies has shown high predictive accuracy for all surgical specialties including vascular procedures. In this study we aim to utilize the mFI-5 to predict outcomes in Transcarotid Revascularization (TCAR).

METHODS

All patient who underwent TCAR from November 2016 to April 2021 in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) Database were included. The mFI-5 was calculated as a cumulative score divided by 5 with 1 point each for poor functional status, presence of diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF), and hypertension. Patients were stratified into two groups based on prior studies: low mFI-5 (0.6) and high (≥0.6). Primary outcomes included in-hospital death, extended length of postoperative stay (> 1 day), and non-home discharge. Secondary outcomes included in-hospital stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), myocardial infarction (MI), and composite endpoint of stroke/death, stroke/TIA and stroke/death/MI. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to assess the association between mFI-5 and postoperative outcomes. Secondary analysis stratified by symptomatic status was performed.

RESULTS

Out of the 17,983 patients who underwent TCAR, 4526(25.2%) had mFI-5 score of ≥0.6 and considered clinically frail. Compared to the non-frail group, frail patients were more likely to be female (38.7% vs 35.6%, p<0.001), have poor functional status (43.6 vs 8.3%, p<0.001), and present with significant comorbidities including diabetes (75.3% vs 26.1%, p<0.001), hypertension (98.9% vs 88.5%, p<0.001), CHF (52.2% vs 5.6, p<0.001), and COPD (60.3% vs 14.2%, p<0.001). They were also more likely to be active smokers (25.4% vs 20.4%, p<0.001) and symptomatic prior to intervention (28.7% vs 25.3%, p<0.001). On univariate analysis, frail patients were at significantly higher risk to experience adverse outcomes including in-hospital mortality, TIA, MI, stroke/death, stroke/TIA, stroke/death/MI, discharge to non-home facility, and extended LOS. After adjusting for potential confounders, frail patients remained at significantly higher risk of in-hospital mortality [aOR 2.26(1.41,3.61), p=0.001], TIA [aOR 1.65(1.08, 2.54), p=0.040], non-home discharge [aOR 1.99(1.71,2.32) p<0.001], and extended LOS [aOR 1.41(1.27, 1.55) p<0.001]. On further stratified analysis based on symptomatic status, the increased risk of stroke/death, TIA, and death was observed only in symptomatic patients.

CONCLUSION

Modified Frailty Index is a reliable tool that can be used to identify high risk patients for TCAR prior to intervention. This could help vascular surgeons, patients, and families in informed decision making to further optimize perioperative care and medical management in frail patients.

Utility of Frailty Assessment in Urologic Stone Surgery: A Review of the Literature

Introduction & Objective As life expectancy continues to rise, the prevalence of frailty is also increasing. The idea of frailty and its effect on the operative patient has been previously studied, but not regularly incorporated into routine practice. We present a review on frailty metrics in the literature, validated assessment methods, and simplified screening tools, to better predict and optimize patient outcomes. Methods An online Pubmed search was conducted by 3 authors (TA, TB, MM) for all frailty, frailty assessment, and pre-operative risk assessment. Only English publications were included in the analysis. Full text analysis was then conducted by all three authors to validate the data. Results An abundance of literature was found on frailty. Even though some methods are validated as very effective for assessing frailty, they may be time consuming and require a specialist. various quick screening methods are also present, many already validated, and should be utilized by urologist more regularly. Conclusions Multiple studies demonstrate the relationship between frailty and surgical patients' outcome. Many quick, office based, validated tools to screen for frailty are described, and should be incorporated into our practice in appropriate patients. Future research is now focused on the concept of "prehabilitation" to improve patient frailty status in the pre-operative setting, and consequently operative outcomes.

The critical view of safety during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Strasberg Yes or No? An Italian Multicentre study

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is considered the gold standard for the treatment of gallbladder lithiasis; nevertheless, the incidence of bile duct injuries (BDI) is still high (0.3-0.8%) compared to open cholecystectomy (0.2%). In 1995, Strasberg introduced the "Critical View of Safety" (CVS) to reduce the risk of BDI. Despite its widespread use, the scientific evidence supporting this technique to prevent BDI is controversial.

METHODS

Between March 2017 and March 2019, the data of patients submitted to laparoscopic cholecystectomy in 30 Italian surgical departments were collected on a national database. A survey was submitted to all members of Italian Digestive Pathology Society to obtain data on the preoperative workup, the surgical and postoperative management of patients and to judge, at the end of the procedure, if the isolation of the elements was performed according to the CVS. In the case of a declared critical view, iconographic documentation was obtained, finally reviewed by an external auditor.

RESULTS

Data from 604 patients were analysed. The study population was divided into two groups according to the evidence (Group A; n = 11) or absence (Group B; N = 593) of BDI and perioperative bleeding. The non-use of CVS was found in 54.6% of procedures in the Group A, and 25.8% in the Group B, and evaluating the operator-related variables the execution of CVS was associated with a significantly lower incidence of BDI and intraoperative bleeding.

CONCLUSIONS

The CVS confirmed to be the safest technique to recognize the elements of the Calot triangle and, if correctly performed, it significantly impacted on preventing intraoperative complications. Additional educational programs on the correct application of CVS in clinical practice would be desirable to avoid extreme conditions that may require additional procedures.

Impact of frailty on acute outcomes of endovascular thoracic and abdominal aneurysm repair

BACKGROUND

While coding-based frailty tools may readily identify at-risk patients, they have not been adopted into screening guidelines for endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair or thoracic endovascular aortic repair at the national level. We aimed to characterize the impact of frailty on clinical outcomes and resource use after endovascular aneurysm repair and thoracic endovascular aortic repair using a nationally representative cohort.

METHODS

The 2005 to 2018 National Inpatient Sample was queried to identify all adults undergoing elective endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair or thoracic endovascular aortic repair. Patients were considered "frail" if they suffered from any frailty-defining diagnoses in the Johns Hopkins Adjusted Clinical Groups. Multivariable regression models were used to identify independent associations with outcomes of interest including in-hospital mortality, nonhome discharge, and hospitalization costs.

RESULTS

Of an estimated 301,869 patients, 273,415 (90.6%) underwent endovascular aneurysm repair and the remainder thoracic endovascular aortic repair. Frailty prevalence was lower in the endovascular aneurysm repair cohort (2.3%) compared with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (4.7%). After adjustment, frailty was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (endovascular aneurysm repair odds ratio 4.0; thoracic endovascular aortic repair odds ratio 2.5), nonhome discharge rates (endovascular aneurysm repair odds ratio 7.2; thoracic endovascular aortic repair odds ratio 4.2), and predicted costs (endovascular aneurysm repair ß coefficient +$10.6K; thoracic endovascular aortic repair ß coefficient +$38.2K) for both cohorts.

CONCLUSION

Given that frailty portends inferior outcomes for both endovascular aneurysm repair and thoracic endovascular aortic repair, its inclusion in existing risk models may better inform shared decision-making.

Frailty and elderly in urology: implications for postoperative complications

The geriatric population is at a greater risk of postoperative complications than young adults. This risk is associated with the physiologic decline seen in this population known as frailty. Unlike fitter patients, frail patients who undergo operative treatment have a greater likelihood of developing postoperative complications and endure prolonged hospital stays. This circumstance is comparable to the urological status. Therefore, tolerable measurement of frailty as a domain of preoperative health status has been suggested to ascertain vulnerability in elderly patients. In this review, we will elaborate on the concept of frailty and examine its importance with respect to surgical complications, focusing on the urological status.

Influence of Frailty on Outcome in Older Patients Undergoing Non-Cardiac Surgery - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Frailty is increasingly recognized as a better predictor of adverse postoperative events than chronological age. The objective of this review was to systematically evaluate the effect of frailty on postoperative morbidity and mortality. Studies were included if patients underwent non-cardiac surgery and if frailty was measured by a validated instrument using physical, cognitive and functional domains. A systematic search was performed using EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science, CENTRAL and PubMed from 1990 - 2017. Methodological quality was assessed using an assessment tool for prognosis studies. Outcomes were 30-day mortality and complications, one-year mortality, postoperative delirium and discharge location. Meta-analyses using random effect models were performed and presented as pooled risk ratios with confidence intervals and prediction intervals. We included 56 studies involving 1.106.653 patients. Eleven frailty assessment tools were used. Frailty increases risk of 30-day mortality (31 studies, 673.387 patients, risk ratio 3.71 [95% CI 2.89-4.77] (PI 1.38-9.97; I2=95%) and 30-day complications (37 studies, 627.991 patients, RR 2.39 [95% CI 2.02-2.83). Risk of 1-year mortality was threefold higher (six studies, 341.769 patients, RR 3.40 [95% CI 2.42-4.77]). Four studies (N=438) reported on postoperative delirium. Meta-analysis showed a significant increased risk (RR 2.13 [95% CI 1.23-3.67). Finally, frail patients had a higher risk of institutionalization (10 studies, RR 2.30 [95% CI 1.81- 2.92]). Frailty is strongly associated with risk of postoperative complications, delirium, institutionalization and mortality. Preoperative assessment of frailty can be used as a tool for patients and doctors to decide who benefits from surgery and who doesn't.

Accuracy and Feasibility of Clinically Applied Frailty Instruments before Surgery

Background

A barrier to routine preoperative frailty assessment is the large number of frailty instruments described. Previous systematic reviews estimate the association of frailty with outcomes, but none have evaluated outcomes at the individual instrument level or specific to clinical assessment of frailty, which must combine accuracy with feasibility to support clinical practice.

Methods

The authors conducted a preregistered systematic review (CRD42019107551) of studies prospectively applying a frailty instrument in a clinical setting before surgery. Medline, Excerpta Medica Database, Cochrane Library and the Comprehensive Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane databases were searched using a peer-reviewed strategy. All stages of the review were completed in duplicate. The primary outcome was mortality and secondary outcomes reflected routinely collected and patient-centered measures; feasibility measures were also collected. Effect estimates were pooled using random-effects models or narratively synthesized. Risk of bias was assessed.

Results

Seventy studies were included; 45 contributed to meta-analyses. Frailty was defined using 35 different instruments; five were meta-analyzed, with the Fried Phenotype having the largest number of studies. Most strongly associated with: mortality and nonfavorable discharge was the Clinical Frailty Scale (odds ratio, 4.89; 95% CI, 1.83 to 13.05 and odds ratio, 6.31; 95% CI, 4.00 to 9.94, respectively); complications was associated with the Edmonton Frail Scale (odds ratio, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.52 to 5.65); and delirium was associated with the Frailty Phenotype (odds ratio, 3.79; 95% CI, 1.75 to 8.22). The Clinical Frailty Scale had the highest reported measures of feasibility.

Conclusions

Clinicians should consider accuracy and feasibility when choosing a frailty instrument. Strong evidence in both domains support the Clinical Frailty Scale, while the Fried Phenotype may require a trade-off of accuracy with lower feasibility.

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Routine frailty assessment predicts postoperative complications in elderly patients across surgical disciplines - a retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND

Frailty is a frequent and underdiagnosed functional syndrome involving reduced physiological reserves and an increased vulnerability against stressors, with severe individual and socioeconomic consequences. A routine frailty assessment was implemented at our preoperative anaesthesia clinic to identify patients at risk.

OBJECTIVE

This study examines the relationship between frailty status and the incidence of in-hospital postoperative complications in elderly surgical patients across several surgical disciplines.

DESIGN

Retrospective observational analysis.

SETTING

Single center, major tertiary care university hospital. Data collection took place between June 2016 and March 2017.

PATIENTS

Patients 65 years old or older were evaluated for frailty using Fried's 5-point frailty assessment prior to elective non-cardiac surgery. Patients were classified into non-frail (0 criteria, reference group), pre-frail (1-2 positive criteria) and frail (3-5 positive criteria) groups.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The incidence of postoperative complications was assessed until discharge from the hospital, using the roster from the National VA Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Propensity score matching and logistic regression analysis were performed.

RESULTS

From 1186 elderly patients, 46.9% were classified as pre-frail (n = 556), and 11.4% as frail (n = 135). The rate of complications were significantly higher in the pre-frail (34.7%) and frail groups (47.4%), as compared to the non-frail group (27.5%). Similarly, length of stay (non-frail: 5.0 [3.0;7.0], pre-frail: 7.0 [3.0;9.0], frail 8.0 [4.5;12.0]; p < 0.001) and discharges to care facilities (non-frail:1.6%, pre-frail: 7.4%, frail: 17.8%); p < 0.001) were significantly associated with frailty status. After propensity score matching and logistic regression analysis, the risk for developing postoperative complications was approximately two-fold for pre-frail (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.04-3.05) and frail (OR 2.08; 95% CI 1.21-3.60) patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The preoperative frailty assessment of elderly patients identified pre-frail and frail subgroups to have the highest rate of postoperative complications, regardless of age, surgical discipline, and surgical risk. Significantly increased length of hospitalisation and discharges to care facilities were also observed. Implementation of routine frailty assessments appear to be an effective tool in identifying patients with increased risk. Now future studies are needed to investigate whether patients benefit from optimization of patient counselling, process planning, and risk reduction protocols based on the application of risk stratification.

Preoperative Frailty and Surgical Outcomes Across Diverse Surgical Subspecialties in a Large Health Care System

BACKGROUND

Frailty is an emerging risk factor for surgical outcomes; however, its application across large populations is not well defined. We hypothesized that frailty affects postoperative outcomes in a large health care system.

STUDY DESIGN

Frailty was prospectively measured in elective surgery patients (January 2016 to June 2017) in a health care system (4 hospitals/901 beds). Frailty classifications-low (0), intermediate (1 to 2), high (3 to 5)-were assigned based on the modified Hopkins score. Operations were classified as inpatient (IP) vs outpatient (OP). Outcomes measured (30-day) included major morbidity, discharge location, emergency department (ED) visit, readmission, length of stay (LOS), mortality, and direct-cost/patient.

RESULTS

There were 14,530 elective surgery patients (68.1% outpatient, 31.9% inpatient) preoperatively assessed (cardiothoracic 4%, colorectal 4%, general 29%, oral maxillofacial 2%, otolaryngology 8%, plastic surgery 13%, podiatry 6%, surgical oncology 5%, transplant 3%, urology 24%, vascular 2%). High frailty was found in 3.4% of patients (5.3% IP, 2.5% OP). Incidence of major morbidity, readmission, and mortality correlated with frailty classification in all patients (p < 0.05). In the IP cohort, length of stay in days (low 1.6, intermediate 2.3, high 4.1, p < 0.0001) and discharge to facility increased with frailty (p < 0.05). In the OP cohort, ED visits increased with frailty (p < 0.05). Frailty was associated with increased direct-cost in the IP cohort (low, $7,045; intermediate, $7,995; high, $8,599; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Frailty affects morbidity, mortality, and health care resource use in both IP and OP operations. Additionally, IP cost increased with frailty. The broad applicability of frailty (across surgical specialties) represents an opportunity for risk stratification and patient optimization across a large health care system.

A Systematic Review of Frailty Assessments in Women With Pelvic Floor Disorders: Are We Following the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program/American Geriatric Society Guidelines?

INTRODUCTION

Associations between frailty and women with pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) are not well understood. This study seeks to describe studies among women with PFD and the associated frailty assessments as recommended in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program/American Geriatric Society (ACS NSQIP/AGS) guidelines.

METHODS

This systematic review was registered with PROSPERO using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. The GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations) criteria are applied to assess study quality. Data synthesis is descriptive. Outcomes of interest include the ratio of studies adhering to the ACS NSQIP/AGS guidelines and evidence for frailty assessments versus usual care for women with PFDs.

RESULTS

Twenty studies regarding frailty and PFDs were included for systematic review. Studies were categorized as relating to (1) epidemiology, (2) frailty and incontinence, (3) postoperative morbidity, and (4) surgical choice. Most studies (5/20) did not define frailty or failed to follow the ACS NSQIP/AGS guidelines. All studies were of very low to low quality. Collectively, each category generated very low GRADE quality evidence of frailty and the relationship to PFDs.

CONCLUSIONS

Most studies regarding frailty among women with PFDs did not define frailty as recommended in the ACS NSQIP/AGS guidelines. The evidence regarding PFDs and frailty is of very low quality. This is the first systematic review regarding frailty assessments specifically among women with PFDs. Paucity of data regarding frailty in women with PFDs, particularly with regard to surgical choice and surgical counseling, highlights the need for further study in this area.

Comprehensive geriatric assessment prediction of postoperative complications in gastrointestinal cancer patients: a meta-analysis

Background

Gastrointestinal cancer is an age-associated disease, and geriatric patients are mostly likely to suffer from postoperative complications. Some studies indicated that comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) could predict postoperative complications in gastrointestinal cancer patients. However, the evidence is mixed.

Objective

This study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to identify the effectiveness of CGA for predicting postoperative complications in gastrointestinal cancer patients.

Methods

The Joanna Briggs Institute Library, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL Complete and four Chinese databases were searched for studies published up to March 2017. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed the quality of included studies. RevMan5.3 was used for meta-analysis or only descriptive analysis.

Results

Six studies were included, with 1,037 participants in total. In all, 13 components of CGA were identified, among which comorbidity (Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI] ≥3; odds ratio [OR]=1.31, 95% CI [1.06, 1.63], P=0.01), polypharmacy (≥5 drugs/day; OR=1.30, 95% CI [1.04, 1.61], P=0.02) and activities of daily living (ADL) dependency (OR=1.69, 95% CI [1.20, 2.38], P=0.003) were proven relevant to the prediction of postoperative complications. No conclusive relationship was established between instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) dependency (OR=1.18, 95% CI [0.73, 1.91], P=0.51), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; OR=1.13, 95% CI [0.91, 1.41], P=0.27), potential malnutrition (OR=1.07, 95% CI [0.87, 1.31], P=0.54), malnutrition (OR=1.26, 95% CI [0.80, 1.99], P=0.32), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS; OR=1.18, 95% CI [0.90, 1.55], P=0.24) and postoperative complications.

Conclusion

Comorbidity (CCI ≥3), polypharmacy (≥5 drugs/day) and ADL dependency were predictive factors for postoperative complications in gastrointestinal cancer patients; the results of other geriatric instruments were not conclusive, pointing to insufficient studies and requirement of more original investigations.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of frailty as a predictor of morbidity and mortality after major abdominal surgery

Background

Frailty is associated with poor prognosis, but the multitude of definitions and scales of assessment makes the impact on outcomes difficult to assess. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of frailty on postoperative morbidity and mortality, and long‐term mortality after major abdominal surgery, and to evaluate the performance of different frailty metrics.

Methods

An extended literature search was performed to retrieve all original articles investigating whether frailty could affect outcomes after elective major abdominal surgery in adult populations. All possible definitions of frailty were considered. A random‐effects meta‐analysis was carried out for all outcomes of interest. For postoperative morbidity and mortality, overall effect sizes were estimated as odds ratios (OR), whereas the hazard ratio (HR) was calculated for long‐term mortality. The potential effect of the number of domains of the frailty indices was explored through meta‐regression at moderator analysis.

Results

A total of 35 studies with 1 153 684 patients were analysed. Frailty was associated with a significantly increased risk of postoperative major morbidity (OR 2·56, 95 per cent c.i. 2·08 to 3·16), short‐term mortality (OR 5·77, 4·41 to 7·55) and long‐term mortality (HR 2·71, 1·63 to 4·49). All domains were significantly associated with the occurrence of postoperative major morbidity, with ORs ranging from 1·09 (1·00 to 1·18) for co‐morbidity to 2·52 (1·32 to 4·80) for sarcopenia. No moderator effect was observed according to the number of frailty components.

Conclusion

Regardless of the definition and combination of domains, frailty was significantly associated with an increased risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality after major abdominal surgery.

Frailty and cancer: Implications for oncology surgery, medical oncology, and radiation oncology

Answer questions and earn CME/CNE The concept of frailty has become increasingly recognized as one of the most important issues in health care and health outcomes and is of particular importance in patients with cancer who are receiving treatment with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Because both cancer itself, as well as the therapies offered, can be significant additional stressors that challenge a patient's physiologic reserve, the incidence of frailty in older patients with cancer is especially high-it is estimated that over one-half of older patients with cancer have frailty or prefrailty. Defining frailty can be challenging, however. Put simply, frailty is a state of extreme vulnerability to stressors that leads to adverse health outcomes. In reality, frailty is a complex, multidimensional, and cyclical state of diminished physiologic reserve that results in decreased resiliency and adaptive capacity and increased vulnerability to stressors. In addition, over 70 different measures of frailty have been proposed. Still, it has been demonstrated that frail patients are at increased risk of postoperative complications, chemotherapy intolerance, disease progression, and death. Although international standardization of frailty cutoff points are needed, continued efforts by oncology physicians and surgeons to identify frailty and promote multidisciplinary decision making will help to develop more individualized management strategies and optimize care for patients with cancer. CA Cancer J Clin 2017;67:362-377. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Modified frailty index associated with Clavien-Dindo IV complications in robot-assisted radical prostatectomies: A retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of frailty on patient outcomes including any complication, Clavien-Dindo IV (CDIV) (intensive care unit-level) complications, and 30-day mortality for robotic-assisted radical prostatectomies (RARP) patients in comparison to other predictive indices using the modified frailty index (mFI).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Patients undergoing RARP from 2008 to 2014 for a prostate cancer-related diagnosis were queried using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database. The mFI was developed using the Canadian Study of Health and Aging Frailty Index as a model. The mFI was compared with other associative indices such as the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) classification and the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). Rates of CDIV complications and 30-day mortality were analyzed based on mFI score using SAS version 9.22.

RESULTS

A total of 23,104 patients undergoing RARP were queried. RARP patients with the highest frailty score (≥3) had an adjusted odds for CDIV complications of Odds ratio of 12.107 (CI: 2.800-52.351, P< 0.005) in comparison with nonfrail RARP patients. These odds were higher than the ASA and Charlson comorbidity index. Additionally, a variable combining mFI and ASA had fair sensitivity and specificity for predicting 30-day mortality in RARP patients (C-statistic = 0.7097, P<0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Increasing mFI scores are associated with worsening outcomes for patients undergoing RARP. A combined mFI and ASA variable can be used to predict 30-day mortality for RARP patients better than mFI or ASA alone.

Impact of frailty on approach to colonic resection: Laparoscopy vs open surgery

AIM

To understand the influence of frailty on postoperative outcomes for laparoscopic and open colectomy.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (2005-2012) for patients undergoing colon resection [open colectomy (OC) and laparoscopic colectomy (LC)]. Patients were classified as non-frail (0 points), low frailty (1 point), moderate frailty (2 points), and severe frailty (≥ 3) using the Modified Frailty Index. 30-d mortality and complications were used as the primary end point and analyzed for the overall population. Complications were grouped into major and minor. Subset analysis was performed for patients undergoing colectomy (total colectomy, partial colectomy and sigmoid colectomy) and separately for patients undergoing rectal surgery (abdominoperineal resection, low anterior resection, and proctocolectomy). We analyzed the data using SAS Platform JMP Pro version 10.0.0 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, United States).

RESULTS

A total of 94811 patients were identified; the majority underwent OC (58.7%), were white (76.9%), and non-frail (44.8%). The median age was 61.3 years. Prolonged length of stay (LOS) occurred in 4.7%, and 30-d mortality was 2.28%. Patients undergoing OC were older (61.89 ± 15.31 vs 60.55 ± 14.93) and had a higher ASA score (48.3% ASA3 vs 57.7% ASA2 in the LC group) (P < 0.0001). Most patients were non-frail (42.5% OC vs 48% LC, P < 0.0001). Complications, prolonged LOS, and mortality were significantly more common in patients undergoing OC (P < 0.0001). OC had a higher risk of death and complications compared to LC for all frailty scores (non-frail: OR = 4.7, and OR = 4.67; mildly frail: OR = 2.51, and OR = 2.47; moderately frail: OR = 2.94, and OR = 2.02, severely frail: OR = 2.37, and OR = 2.34, P < 0.05) and an increase in absolute mortality with increasing frailty (non-frail 0.68% OC, mildly frail 1.39%, moderately frail 3.44%, and severely frail 5.83%, P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

LC is associated with improved outcomes. Although the odds of mortality are higher in non-frail, there is a progressive increase in mortality with increasing frailty.

Preoperative Frailty Is Associated With Discharge to Skilled or Assisted Living Facilities After Urologic Procedures of Varying Complexity

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between frailty and postoperative discharge destination after different types of commonly performed urologic procedures in older patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) from 2011 to 2013, we identified commonly performed inpatient urologic procedures among patients aged 65 and older. We then assessed the effect of frailty, measured by the NSQIP Frailty Index (NSQIP-FI), on discharge to a skilled or assisted living facility using logistic regression and assessed the heterogeneity of this effect across procedures using 2-level random effects modeling.

RESULTS

Overall, 1144 out of 20,794 (5.5%) urologic cases, representing 19 different procedures, resulted in discharge to a skilled or assisted living facility. Cystectomy and large transurethral resection of bladder tumor had the highest percentage (16.3%). Twenty-five percent of patients undergoing urology procedures were frail (NSQIP-FI 0.18+), including 9.8% of patients discharged to a facility. Even after adjustment for year, age, race, type of anesthesia, smoking status, recent weight loss, and whether or not the procedure was elective, frailty was strongly associated with discharge to a facility (adjusted odds ratio 3.1 [96% confidence interval 2.5, 3.8] for NSQIP-FI 0.18+ compared to NSQIP FI 0). This finding was consistent across most procedures of varying complexity with an overall effect of odds ratio 1.6 (95% confidence interval 1.5, 2.0).

CONCLUSION

Increasing frailty is associated with discharge to a skilled or assisted living facility across most inpatient urologic procedures evaluated, regardless of complexity. This information is important for preoperative counseling with patients undergoing urologic surgery.

Frailty in trauma: A systematic review of the surgical literature for clinical assessment tools

BACKGROUND

Elderly trauma patients have outcomes worse than those of similarly injured younger patients. Although patient age and comorbidities explain some of the difference, the contribution of frailty to outcomes is largely unknown because of the lack of assessment tools developed specifically to assess frailty in the trauma population. This systematic review of the surgical literature identifies currently available frailty clinical assessment tools and evaluates the potential of each instrument to assess frailty in elderly patients with trauma.

METHODS

This review was registered with PROSPERO (the international prospective register of systematic reviews, registration number CRD42014015350). Publications in English from January 1995 to October 2014 were identified by a comprehensive search strategy in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL, supplemented by manual screening of article bibliographies and subjected to three tiers of review. Forty-two studies reporting on frailty assessment tools were selected for analysis. Criteria for objectivity, feasibility in the trauma setting, and utility to predict trauma outcomes were formulated and used to evaluate the tools, including their subscales and individual items.

RESULTS

Thirty-two unique frailty assessment tools were identified. Of those, 4 tools as a whole, 2 subscales, and 29 individual items qualified as objective, feasible, and useful in the clinical assessment of trauma patients. The single existing tool developed specifically to assess frailty in trauma did not meet evaluation criteria.

CONCLUSION

Few frailty assessment tools in the surgical literature qualify as objective, feasible, and useful measures of frailty in the trauma population. However, a number of individual tool items and subscales could be combined to assess frailty in the trauma setting. Research to determine the accuracy of these measures and the magnitude of the contribution of frailty to trauma outcomes is needed.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Systematic review, level III.

Prehabilitation in our most frail surgical patients: are wearable fitness devices the next frontier?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Frailty is the concept of accumulating physiologic declines that make people less able to deal with stressors, including surgery. Prehabilitation is intervention to enhance functional capacity before surgery. Frailty and prehabilitation among transplant populations and the role of wearable fitness tracking devices (WFTs) in delivering fitness-based interventions will be discussed.

RECENT FINDINGS

Frailty is associated with increased complications, longer length of hospital stay and increased mortality after surgery. Frail kidney transplant patients have increased delayed graft function, mortality and early hospital readmission. Frail lung or liver transplant patients are more likely to delist or die on the waitlist. Prehabilitation can mitigate frailty and has resulted in decreased length of hospital stay and fewer postsurgical complications among a variety of surgical populations. Increasingly, WFTs are used to monitor patient activity and improve patient health. Interventions using WFTs have resulted in improved activity, weight loss and blood pressure.

SUMMARY

Frailty is a measurable parameter that identifies patients at risk for worse health outcomes and can be mitigated through intervention. Prehabilitation to reduce frailty has been shown to improve postsurgical outcomes in a variety of populations. WFTs are being integrated in healthcare delivery for monitoring and changing health behavior with promising results.

Benefits of Minimal Access Surgery in Elderly Patients with Pelvic Cancer

An increasing proportion of patients requiring treatment for malignancy are elderly, which has created new challenges for oncologic surgeons. Aging is associated with an increasing prevalence of frailty and comorbidities that may affect the outcome of surgical procedures. By decreasing complications and shortening length of hospital stay without affecting oncologic safety, surgery performed using the robot, rather than traditional laparotomy, improves the chances of a better outcome in our growing elderly populations. In addition to age, surgeons should take into account factors, such as frailty and comorbidities that correlate with outcome.

Validation of a frailty index in patients undergoing curative surgery for urologic malignancy and comparison with other risk stratification tools

OBJECTIVE

To retrospectively validate and compare a modified frailty index predicting adverse outcomes and other risk stratification tools among patients undergoing urologic oncological surgeries.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was queried from 2005 to 2013 to identify patients undergoing cystectomy, prostatectomy, nephrectomy, and nephroureterectomy. Using the Canadian Study of Health and Aging Frailty Index, 11 variables were matched to the database; 4 were also added because of their relevance in oncology patients. The incidence of mortality, Clavien-Dindo IV complications, and adverse events were assessed with patients grouped according to their modified frailty index score.

RESULTS

We identified 41,681 patients who were undergoing surgery for presumed urologic malignancy. Patients with a high frailty index score of >0.20 had a 3.70 odds of a Clavien-Dindo IV event (CI: 2.865-4.788, P<0.0005) and a 5.95 odds of 30-day mortality (CI: 3.72-9.51, P<0.0005) in comparison with nonfrail patients after adjusting for race, sex, age, smoking history, and procedure. Using C-statistics to compare the sensitivity and specificity of the predictive ability of different models per risk stratification tool and the Akaike information criteria to assess for the fit of the models with the data, the modified frailty index was comparable or superior to the Charlson comorbidity index but inferior to the American Society of Anesthesiologists Risk Class in predicting 30-day mortality or Clavien-Dindo IV events. When the modified frailty index was augmented with the American Society of Anesthesiologists Risk Class, the new index was superior in all aspects in comparison to other risk stratification tools.

CONCLUSION

Existing risk stratification tools may be improved by incorporating variables in our 15-point modified frailty index as well as other factors such as walking speed, exhaustion, and sarcopenia to fully assess frailty. This is relevant in diseases such as kidney and prostate cancer, where surveillance and other nonsurgical interventions exist as alternatives to a potentially complicated surgery. In these scenarios, our modified frailty index augmented by the American Society of Anesthesiologists Risk Class may help inform which patients have increased surgical complications that may outweigh the benefit of surgery although this index needs prospective validation.

Frailty and perioperative outcomes: a narrative review

BACKGROUND

Frailty has no single universally accepted definition or method for assessment. It is commonly defined from a physiological perspective as a disruption of homeostatic mechanisms ultimately leading to a vulnerable state. Numerous scoring indices and assessments exist to assist clinicians in determining the frailty status of a patient. The purpose of this review is to discuss the relationship between frailty and perioperative outcomes in surgical patients.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

We performed a review to determine the association of frailty with perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing a wide variety of surgical procedures. A scoping literature search was performed to capture studies from MEDLINE(®), EMBASE™, and CENTRAL (Cochrane), which resulted in locating 175 studies across the three electronic databases. After an article screening process, 19 studies were found that examined frailty and perioperative outcomes. The studies used a range of assessments to determine frailty status and included patients in a variety of surgical fields. Regardless of surgical population and method of frailty assessment, a relationship existed between adverse perioperative outcomes and frailty status. Frail patients undergoing surgical procedures had a higher likelihood than non-frail patients of experiencing mortality, morbidity, complications, increased hospital length of stay, and discharge to an institution.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients undergoing surgery who are deemed frail, regardless of the scoring assessment used, have a higher likelihood of experiencing adverse perioperative outcomes. With the lack of a unified definition for frailty, further research is needed to address which assessment method is most predictive of adverse postoperative outcomes.

Outcomes of operations for benign foregut disease in elderly patients: a National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database analysis

BACKGROUND

The development of minimally invasive operative techniques and improvement in postoperative care has made surgery a viable option to a greater number of elderly patients. Our objective was to evaluate the outcomes of laparoscopic and open foregut operation in relation to the patient age.

METHODS

Patients who underwent gastric fundoplication, paraesophageal hernia repair, and Heller myotomy were identified via the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database (2005-2011). Patient characteristics and outcomes were compared between five age groups (group I: ≤65 years, II: 65-69 years; III: 70-74 years; IV: 75-79 years; and V: ≥80 years). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to predict the impact of age and operative approach on the studied outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 19,388 patients were identified. Advanced age was associated with increased rate of 30-day mortality, overall morbidity, serious morbidity, and extended length of stay, regardless of the operative approach. After we adjusted for other variables, advanced age was associated with increased odds of 30-day mortality compared with patients <65 years (III: odds ratio 2.70, 95% confidence interval 1.34-5.44, P = .01; IV: 2.80, 1.35-5.81, P = .01; V: 6.12, 3.41-10.99, P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Surgery for benign foregut disease in elderly patients carries a burden of mortality and morbidity that needs to be acknowledged.