Do interventions targeting frailty improve outcomes after cardiac surgery? A systematic review

Abstract

Frail patients have poorer cardiac surgery outcomes. Interventions targeting frailty may improve surgical recovery. This study explored interventions that specifically target frailty in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. A systematic review was conducted, searching multiple electronic databases from January 2010 to May 2022. Studies applying an intervention targeting frailty (measured using a validated tool) in adults undergoing cardiac surgery were included. Data extraction and quality assessments were undertaken by two authors. From 2726 identified papers, five studies were included in the final review. Studies varied in their definitions of frailty, methods and intervention components. All included an exercise component, but these varied in frequency, length and content. Three studies reported an improvement in frailty. This review identified that there is some evidence that frailty is improved after an exercise intervention. Further research should focus on the multifaceted nature of frailty, the degree to which frailty is reversed by interventions and the effectiveness of such interventions specifically for women.