Worsening frailty scores predict postoperative mortality risk.

Preoperative frailty, measured by the modified frailty index (MFI), significantly predicts postoperative mortality. Patients who experienced in-hospital mortality exhibited higher preoperative MFI scores (0.178) compared to those discharged alive (0.115). This difference persisted on postoperative day 1 (0.240 vs. 0.143) and along the entire hospitalization trajectory. Notably, the increase in MFI scores was substantial for those who died (0.276) versus those discharged (0.014), highlighting the critical role of early frailty recognition for timely interventions.