[Preoperative assessment and optimization]

Identification of patients with high risk for post-operative complications is instrumental in all surgical specialities. Proper identification can in some cases lead to preoperative or intraoperative optimization resulting in reduced morbidity and morbidity. Several scoring systems exist for assessing overall mortality risk. Preoperative functional tests and biochemical risk markers have shown to be effective in predicting post-operative medical complications and mortality. Optimization can be done by medical interventions, improved anaesthesiological care and optimization directed towards improved communication in the surgical team.