Background: Aim of this study is to evaluate the predictive ability of Fried Frailty Score for surgical outcomes in patients undergoing gynecologic cancer surgery.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study at an academic gynecological cancer center from Oct 2015 through Jan 2017. We applied systematically numerous screening tools, geriatric questionnaires and single measurements which may provide predictions for surgical outcomes. We classified frailty according to the Fried definition and surgical complications were graded according Clavien-Dindo criteria. Using logistic regression analysis, we identified predictive clinical variables for postoperative complications (POC).

Results: Overall 226 patients were enrolled (median age 59 years, range 18-87 years). The prevalence of frailty based on the presence of three or more frailty criteria was 14.2%, the presence of one or two frailty criteria was classified as prefrail with 59.4% and without any presence as robust with 26.5%. Within 30 days of surgery, nine (3.8%) patients have died and 40 (18.3%) experienced a grade ≥ IIIb complication. In the regression analysis obesity (OR: 5.37, 95% CI 1.99-14.49, p = 0.001) as well as ECOG >1 (OR: 4.32, 95% CI 1.28-1.55, p = 0.018) and Albumin<3.6 g/dl (OR: 3.88, 95% CI 1.37-10.98, p = 0.011) emerged as significant predictors of postoperative complications (POC). Fried Frailty Score (OR: 2.41, 95% CI 0.91-6.41, p = 0.077) showed no significant additional predictive value.

Conclusion: Fried Frailty Score could help the surgeon to estimate the risk for POC among patients undergoing gynecologic cancer surgery. But preoperatively determined ECOG, BMI and Albumin can predict severe POC in patients undergoing gynecologic surgery more precisely and should be assessed routinely.