Birkelbach O, Mörgeli R, Spies C, et al. - In this retrospective observational study of elderly surgical patients across several surgical disciplines, researchers determined the link between frailty status and the incidence of in-hospital postoperative complications. This investigation was undertaken at a single center, major tertiary care university hospital. Before elective non-cardiac surgery, the assessment of frailty was performed in patients 65 years old or older, using Fried’s 5-point frailty evaluation. They divided patients into non-frail (0 criteria, reference group), pre-frail (1–2 positive criteria) and frail (3–5 positive criteria) groups. The highest rate of postoperative complications was found in pre-frail and frail subgroups, irrespective of age, surgical discipline, and surgical risk, as revealed in the preoperative frailty evaluation of elderly patients. Findings also revealed significantly increased length of hospitalisation and discharges to care facilities. Routine frailty evaluations seemed to afford an effective means to detect patients with increased risk.