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Are the frail destined to fail? The frailty index as a predictor of surgical morbidity and mortality in the elderly

Multiple studies demonstrate that increased frailty, as measured by a frailty index, is a significant predictor of adverse outcomes in older surgical patients. This highlights a crucial question for medical professionals and aging patients alike: are the frail destined to fail? Answering this involves understanding how frailty indices are used to assess surgical risk, the validity of these predictions, and the potential for interventions to improve outcomes.