Changes in frailty status after cardiac surgery. A prospective cohort study

The concept of frailty has become increasingly familiar in cardiac surgery. Since one of the characteristics of frailty is its reversible nature, efforts are being made to preoperatively decrease the level of frailty. However, the effect that the surgery itself may have in the postoperative frailty status remains still unknown.

A prospective cohort of 137 patients aged 70 or more undergoing major cardiac surgery were recruited at three hospitals in Spain. Frailty status was assessed preoperatively and six months after surgery using the Fried scale and the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). We analyzed the changes in these frailty scores and the transitions between frailty status after surgery.

Mean age of participants was 78.3 years. 47.7% were female. Prevalence of frailty was 27.5% with the Fried Scale and 11% with the CFS. Up to 50% of frail patients improved their frailty status after surgery. The distribution of frailty among the study groups at baseline and six months after surgery changed significantly, decreasing the overall burden of frailty after surgery: 27.5% vs 17.4% of frail patients with the Fried Scale and 50.5% vs 29.4% of vulnerable or frail patients with the CFS (p<0.01).

Frailty is a dynamic condition that can be significantly reduced after cardiac surgery, suggesting that cardiac pathology is an important contributor to the preoperative patient's frailty status.