Frailty and Sarcopenia: Low Utilization of Frailty Scales in Thoracic Surgery and the Potential Impact of Prehabilitation

Cheney SM, Gaur D and Khaitan PG

Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University Hospital, Altanta, USA Lamar High School, Houston, USA Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, UAE

^*Correspondance to: Puja Gaur Khaitan 

 PDF  Full Text DOI: 10.25107/2474-1647.3702

Abstract

Frailty is a syndrome characterized by physical deconditioning and sarcopenia. It is associated with increased perioperative complications, delayed recovery, and increased mortality. However, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Risk Calculator [1], perhaps the only routinely utilized tool to assess surgical candidacy and outcomes in cardiac surgery, is rarely used in thoracic surgery. The STS Risk Calculator utilizes a patient’s medical history and current patient data including daily alcohol and tobacco use, severity of carotid artery stenosis, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, days since myocardial infarction, ejection fraction, and most recent laboratory values to predict short-term outcomes [1]. Ultimately the question remains: How applicable is the STS calculator to lung and esophageal cancer patients or do we need to re-define risk stratification for patients undergoing such thoracic surgery, which are distinct from cardiac bypass and valvular surgeries? Can clinicians unanimously agree to use a single risk calculator to reproducibly identify frail patients across all disciplines in order to timely intervene and provide tailored prehabilitation to optimize their outcomes?

Keywords

Frailty; Sarcopenia; Preoperative risk assessment; Morbidity and mortality; Prehabilitation; Rehabilitation.

Cite the article

Cheney SM, Gaur D, Khaitan PG. Frailty and Sarcopenia: Low Utilization of Frailty Scales in Thoracic Surgery and the Potential Impact of Prehabilitation. Clin Surg. 2024; 9: 3702..