Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 May;30(5):2015-2020.
doi: 10.1007/s11695-020-04516-1.

Sarcopenia: What a Surgeon Should Know

Enrico Pinotti  1   2 , Mauro Montuori  3   4 , Vincenzo Borrelli  4 , Monica Giuffrè  4 , Luigi Angrisani  5
Affiliations
Review

Sarcopenia: What a Surgeon Should Know

Enrico Pinotti et al. Obes Surg. 2020 May.

Abstract

Sarcopenia is an increasingly frequent syndrome characterized by generalized and progressive loss of muscle mass, reduction in muscle strength, and resultant functional impairment. This condition is associated with increased risk of falls and fractures, disability, and increased risk of death. When a sarcopenic patient undergoes major surgery, it has a higher risk of complications and postoperative mortality because of less resistance to surgical stress. It is not easy to recognize a sarcopenic patient preoperatively, but this is essential to evaluate the correct risk to benefit ratio. The role of sarcopenia in surgical patients has been studied for both oncological and non-oncological surgery. For correct surgical planning, data about sarcopenia are essential to design a correct tailored treatment.

Keywords: Frailty; Sarcopenia; Sarcopenic obesity; Surgery.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Rosenberg IH. Summary comments [Internet]. Am J Clin Nutr. 1989:1231–3. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/50.5.1231 .
    1. Kim TN, Choi KM. Sarcopenia: definition, epidemiology, and pathophysiology [Internet]. J Bone Metab. 2013:1. https://doi.org/10.11005/jbm.2013.20.1.1 . - PubMed - PMC
    1. Goodpaster BH, Park SW, Harris TB, et al. The loss of skeletal muscle strength, mass, and quality in older adults: the health, aging and body composition study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2006;61:1059–64. - PubMed - PMC
    1. Cruz-Jentoft AJ, Baeyens JP, Bauer JM, et al. Sarcopenia: European consensus on definition and diagnosis: Report of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People [Internet]. Age and Ageing. 2010:412–23. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afq034 . - PubMed - PMC
    1. Santilli V. Clinical definition of sarcopenia [Internet]. Clinical Cases in Mineral and Bone Metabolism. 2014; https://doi.org/10.11138/ccmbm/2014.11.3.177 .

LinkOut - more resources