[Anesthesia and perioperative management for highly invasive major surgery: preface and comments]

Despite a drastic decline in anesthesia-related morbidity and mortality, perioperative mortality remains still high with an overall rate around 1 to 2%. To improve postsurgical outcomes ultimately, anesthesiologists should move forward to take more responsibility in the perioperative management of patients. In this issue, we selected several types of highly invasive surgical procedures and reviewed anesthesia and perioperative management for the patients undergoing these surgeries. Team approach by various professionals may facilitate organizing pre-, intra-, and postoperative care.