Frailty and sarcopenia in the selection of candidates for liver transplantation

Abstract

Frailty and sarcopenia are important domains of patient assessment that are recognized as influencing waitlist and transplant outcomes among liver transplant candidates. These distinct but complementary concepts both require accurate and reproducible measurement to quantify patient risk and direct at-risk patients to interventions to mitigate the impact of frailty and sarcopenia. Prehabilitation protocols, guided by frailty and sarcopenia measures, may allow patients to optimize survival on the waiting list and prevent complications after transplant.