Frailty may increase complication risk following urologic surgery

For patients undergoing urologic surgery, frailty may increase their risk of experiencing complications after surgery.

Among 95,108 patients undergoing 21 different urologic procedures, such as bladder or prostate removal, the average frequency of complications per individual was 11.7%, with the most common complications being hospital readmission (6.2%), blood transfusion (4.6%), and urinary tract infection (3.1%).

Tests of frailty revealed that patients who were frail, a physical vulnerability that can lead to increased susceptibility to disability, were 1.7-times more likely to experience complications after surgery.

"We found that frailty was a significant predictor of postoperative complications independent of age and across most procedures evaluated, making it a very important factor to consider in preoperative decision-making and counseling," said Dr. Anne Suskind, lead author of the BJU International study.