Conventional Frailty Index Does Not Predict Risk of Postoperative Complications in Patients With IBD: A Multicenter Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: Frailty has been associated with adverse outcomes in patients with IBD. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the association between health deficit-defined frailty (using the 5-factor modified frailty index) and postoperative outcomes in patients with IBD. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Module. PATIENTS: The included patients had IBD and underwent major abdominal surgery between 2016 and 2019. Patients were classified as frail (modified frailty index >= 2), prefrail (modified frailty index = 1), or normal (modified frailty index = 0) based on a validated, 5-factor modified frailty index. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The association was evaluated between frailty and risk of 30-day severe postoperative complications, prolonged hospital stay, and risk of readmission using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 3172 patients with IBD who underwent major abdominal surgery (42.7 +/- 16.4 y, 49.3% female, 57.7% with Crohn's disease, 43.9% on biologics), 116 (3.7%) were classified as frail and 477 as prefrail (15%). After adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking, BMI, type of surgery, corticosteroid use, and biologic and immunomodulator use, frailty was not associated with increased risk for severe postoperative complications (adjusted OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.81-1.90), mortality (adjusted OR, 1.38 [0.44-3.6]), or 30-day readmission (adjusted OR, 1.35 [0.77-2.30]). Nonelective surgery, significant weight loss, corticosteroid use, and need for ileostomy were associated with increased risk of severe postoperative complications. LIMITATIONS: Limited information regarding IBD-specific characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with IBD undergoing major abdominal surgery, frailty measured by a conventional abbreviated health deficits index is not predictive of adverse postoperative outcomes. Biologic and functional measures of frailty may better risk-stratify surgical candidacy in patients with IBDs.