American journal of surgery
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Multicenter Study
Assessment for frailty is useful for predicting morbidity in elderly patients undergoing colorectal cancer resection whose comorbidities are already optimized.
The clinical syndrome of frailty identified through the assessment of weight loss, gait speed, grip strength, physical activity, and physical exhaustion has been used to identify patients with reduced reserves. We hypothesized that frailty is useful in predicting adverse outcomes in optimized elective elderly colorectal surgery patients. ⋯ Preliminary findings show that frailty is a potent adjunctive tool of predicting postoperative morbidity. Frailty can be used to identify elderly patients needing further optimization before major surgery.