Frailty assessment helpful before surgery

Dear Doctor: Our dad is 82 years old and may need to get a pacemaker. My brother and I recently read that surgery is hard on older people, both physically and mentally. Is getting a pacemaker going to be risky? He's physically pretty weak, and we're worried the surgery will be too much for him.

Dear Reader: A pacemaker is a small medical device that keeps the heart beating at a steady rhythm. It co…