The 5-Factor Modified Frailty Index is a succinct yet effective predictor of adverse outcomes in patients undergoing open surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is an age-related, clinically recognizable state marked by increased susceptibility. The 5-item Modified Frailty Index (mFI-5) offers a concise assessment of frailty and has demonstrated its efficacy in various surgical fields. While the mFI-5 has been validated for Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA), its applicability in open surgical repair (OSR) for AAA remains largely unexplored. This study sought to evaluate the utility of mFI-5 in predicting 30-day outcomes following OSR for AAA.

METHODS: Patients underwent OSR for AAA were identified in ACS-NSQIP targeted database from 2012-2021. Patients were stratified into three cohorts: mFI-5 score of 0 (control), 1, and 2+. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare 30-day perioperative outcomes between frail patients and controls adjusting preoperative variables with p-value<0.1.

RESULTS: Of the 5,249 patients who underwent OSR for AAA, 1,043 were controls, 2,938 had an mFI-5 score of 1, and 1,268 had an mFI-5 score of 2+. When compared to the control group, patients with an mFI-5=1 were more likely to have pulmonary events (aOR=1.452, p<0.01), bleeding events (aOR=1.33, p<0.01), wound complications (aOR=2.214, p<0.01), ischemic colitis (aOR=1.616, p=0.01), and unplanned reoperation (aOR=1.292, p=0.04). Those with an mFI-5=2+ demonstrated higher risks of mortality (aOR=1.709, p<0.01), MACE (aOR=1.347, p=0.04), pulmonary events (aOR=2.045, p<0.01), renal dysfunction (aOR=1.568, p<0.01), sepsis (aOR=1.587, p=0.01), bleeding events (aOR=1.429, p<0.01), wound complications (aOR=2.338, p<0.01), ischemic colitis (aOR=1.775, p=0.01), unplanned reoperation (aOR=1.445, p=0.01), operation over 4 hours (aOR=1.34, p<0.01), length of stay over 7 days (aOR=1.324, <0.01), discharge not to home (aOR=1.547, p<0.01), 30-day readmission (aOR=1.657, p=0.01).

CONCLUSION: The mFI-5 emerges as a succinct yet effective indicator of frailty for patients undergoing OSR for AAA. Especially, a mFI-5 score of 2+ is linked with increased 30-day mortality and complications. As such, mFI-5 can be used as a valuable screening tool for frailty in patients undergoing OSR for AAA.