The researchers sought to discover:
• How many degenerative spine patients demonstrated frailty
• Characteristics related to frailty
• Association between frailty and post-op complications, mortality, length of stay and discharge
The study included 53,080 patients who had degenerative spine surgery between 2006 and 2012. The researchers utilized a modified frailty index with 11 variables.
Here are five observations:
1. Of the 53,080 patients, 2,041 patients had frailty.
2. The researchers found frailty increased with age and was more severe in males; African Americans; patients with higher body mass index; patients who had recent weight loss; and paraplegic or quadriplegic patients.
3. The study revealed frailty severity could independently predict major complications, including reoperations for infections.
4. Frailty severity could also predict longer lengths of stay and 30-day mortality on unadjusted and adjusted analysis.
5. The researchers concluded “frailty is an important predictor of postoperative outcomes following degenerative spine surgery.” Surgeons may want to determine patient frailty to help with perioperative optimization, risk stratification and patient counseling.
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