Preoperative Evaluation

The preoperative evaluation of a patient is critical to ensure the best possible outcome when surgical procedures are being considered. Cardiovascular complications in the peri-operative setting account for a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease increases with age, which when coupled with the age-related increase in likelihood of requiring non-cardiac surgery, readily explains the concern of surgeons and anesthesiologists. The assessment of a patient’s functional capacity is one of the strongest predictors in the preoperative evaluation. However, additional testing is often necessary among patients who are of at least intermediate risk for perioperative cardiac complications.