Operative management improves survival among frail patients.

An observational study of 49,169 patients revealed that operative management resulted in lower mortality rates overall (1.3% vs 2.5%, p<0.0001) and among most frailty categories, although not for the very frail (8.1% vs 12.1%, p=0.1). Furthermore, those undergoing surgery experienced more hospital-free days, especially notable in the very frail group. However, recovery was longer for frail patients, suggesting nonoperative management could be preferable for those severely frail presenting with certain conditions.