Frailty, geriatric assessment and prehabilitation in elderly patients undergoing urological surgery – is there a need for change of the daily clinical practice? Synthesis of the available literature

INTRODUCTION: The population of older people is heterogeneous and constantly growing. Over 50% of urological operations are performed in elderly patients. Some elderly patients present with frailty syndrome – a state of increased vulnerability to external stressors resulting in increased risk of hospitalizations, adverse treatment outcomes and death. Currently, there is no widely accepted system of qualification and preparation for surgical treatment developed specifically for elderly patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We searched Medline/Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane Libraries databases from 2000–2020 (week 5). The following medical subject headings (MeSH) terms were used to ensure the sensitivity of the searches: geriatric assessment, frailty, urology, and prehabilitation. Relevant articles were also identified through a manual search of the reference lists of potentially relevant articles. RESULTS: A total of 23 papers met the criteria and were included in the current study. Screening for frailty seems to be promising in predicting adverse outcomes, but frail patients should undergo detailed geriatric assessment (GA) which may indicate a need for preoperative intervention which can be unavailable during the hospitalization. The concept of prehabilitation is becoming increasingly discussed in thoracic and abdominal surgery, but only a few studies are available in the field of urology. CONCLUSIONS: Geriatric assessment seems to be a valuable tool for urologists in daily clinical practice. A proper form of prehabilitation may provide enhanced recovery after surgery.