Frailty as a Predictor of Outcomes After Fibula Free Flap for Head and Neck Reconstruction: A Multi-Institutional Analysis Using the mFI-5.
BACKGROUND Chronological age inadequately reflects physiologic vulnerability in older adults undergoing complex reconstruction. Frailty, quantified by the 5-item Modified Frailty Index (mFI-5), may better stratify perioperative risk in fibula free flap (FFF) reconstruction for head and neck defects, but its impact rema...