In a study recently published in a medical journal, Jama Surgery, it has been found that frail patients undergoing surgeries of any strength could be at higher risk than known before.
After studying frail patients, the team of researchers has found that the mortality rate amongst these weak bodies is way too high than normal, even in the case of low-risk surgeries.
The findings eventually led to the conclusion that there are no low-risk surgeries for bodies incapable of withstanding.
The first author of the study, Dr. Myrick C. Shinall, Vanderbilt University Medical Center was shocked to see the results of the study and claims that other surgeons will be shocked as well.
The reason is, the study changes the dynamics of surgeries. The parameters based on which surgeries are marked and considered as low-risk or low-stress stands irrelevant now.
Frail as we know refers to weakness is mostly seen in older patients who are incapable of coping with stress, low on energy and show signs of slow activity. While the real causing agent of frailty or weakness is not known yet, cardio-vascular diseases certainly increase weakness.
All patients of or beyond a certain age, do not have the same body strength which means body fitness can help prevent weakness and save the body from becoming frail.
To test the impact of low-risk surgeries, more than 400,000 veterans were studied in the Veteran Health Care System who underwent non-cardiac surgeries. 8.5% of the test group were found to be frail and 2.1% were considered very frail for the study based on the Risk Analysis Index.
After 30-days of surgeries like knee replacements, hernia, cyst removal, etc. the mortality rate for frail patients was 1.6% and 10.3% for very frail patients.
The researchers have found out that general surgeons do not consider the endurance level of patients before taking them for low-risk surgeries and have thus suggested to test and qualify the patients using RAI before deciding on the surgery.
