Understanding a patient’s frailty index is an important part of assessing the risks and benefits of a surgical procedure for a cardiothoracic surgery patient. Frailty sometimes is measured by a patient’s grip strength, weight, and walking test results, but standards for evaluating and treating frailty before surgery do not exist. Mark K. Ferguson, MD (The University of Chicago), moderates a panel discussion with Nimesh Desai, MD (University of Pennsylvania), Linda W. Martin, MD, MPH (University of Virginia), and Betty C. Tong, MD (Duke University Medical Center), about how to screen for frailty, interventions to help patients prepare for surgery, and optimizing post-operative treatment protocols for the frail patient.