Frailty and Liver resection: where do we stand?

Abstract

As the world population is continuously aging, the number of older patients requiring liver surgery is also on the rise. Data have shown that age should not be a limiting factor for liver resection, as it cannot accurately predict postoperative outcomes. Instead, frailty can serve as a more reliable measure of the patient’s overall health and functional reserves. Several frailty assessment tools have been implemented for preoperative risk stratification before liver surgery, and higher scores have commonly been associated with postoperative morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital stay. However, no consensus has been reached on the most useful screening tool. Future studies should focus on comparing the currently available assessment tools, constructing a liver resection-specific tool, and assessing the role of frailty assessment tools in preoperative patient optimization.

Keywords

Frailty / age / elderly / liver resection / liver surgery / morbidity / morbidity / complications

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