The frail patient - frailty as a critical factor in surgical risk and postoperative outcomes.

Abstract

Frailty is a multidimensional syndrome characterized by reduced physiological reserve and increased vulnerability to stressors, significantly elevating the risk of postoperative complications, morbidity, and mortality. As the population ages, prevalence of frailty among surgical patients is rising. This article summarizes current knowledge on frailty as a key predictor of surgical risk, introduces validated tools for its assessment, and discusses their application in clinical practice. Furthermore, it highlights prehabilitation as an effective intervention to improve the patients' baseline condition and reduce postoperative complications. Based on available evidence, frailty is a modifiable condition whose early identification and targeted interventions have the potential to significantly influence surgical outcomes and overall patient prognosis. The article calls for routine integration of frailty assessment into perioperative clinical care.