Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Associations between preoperative frailty and major postoperative complications in older surgical patients
Authors' conclusion
Frail elderly patients scheduled for elective surgery were at an increased risk of major POCs, especially those with slow walking speed, low levels of physical activity, and frequent feelings of exhaustion.
Study context
- Population
- Elderly patients (≥65 years) undergoing elective surgery, five hospitals in China
- Participants
- 1,358 patients · 5 hospitals
- Exposure
- Preoperative frailty vs no frailty
- Outcome
- Major postoperative complications (POCs)
Methodological detailsmulticentre
- Multicentre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Major POCs
Adjusted odds ratio (95 % CI)
Frail vs Non-frail
2.61(1.47–4.62)
Each 1-point increase in frailty35 % increase in risk
1.35(1.10–1.66)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Frailty components and major postoperative complications (POCs)
- Slow walking speed, low physical activity and frequent exhaustion independently associated with major POCs
- ORs (95 % CI), in that order: 2.34 (1.33-4.13), 1.98 (1.09-3.57), 2.26 (1.28-3.99)
Added predictive value of frailty beyond baseline risk model
- Net Reclassification Index (NRI)
- 0.5551, 0.3095-0.8006
- IDI
- 0.0144, 0.0003-0.0286
Subgroup analyses (subgroup)
- Same trend between frailty and major POCs in subgroups
Original publication
Associations between preoperative frailty and major postoperative complications in older surgical patients. J Clin Anesth. Published 17 December 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →