Frailty is a clinical syndrome involving damage to or loss of functional reserves of multiple physiological systems, characterized by increased vulnerability to external stressors and poor ability to maintain homeostasis, leading to an increased risk of adverse outcomes, which has been shown to be associated with adverse postoperative outcomes. This review aims to expound on the pathogenesis, evaluation methods of frailty, the influence of preoperative frailty on postoperative outcomes in elderly people, and frail intervention measures, so as to provide clinical guidance for developing individualized management plans in the perioperative period and improving the prognosis of patients.