Shedding light on perioperative hemodynamic monitoring

Given the number of clinical studies and meta-analyses investigating the impact of cardiac output-guided hemodynamic management on the postoperative outcome of patients undergoing high-risk surgery, clinicians should already have a fair idea of the clinical and economic benefits. However, this is still a matter of debate, there are still large outcome studies going on, and surveys and audits have shown that clinical adoption remains low. Rational patient selection, more affordable monitoring solutions, and the personalization of therapeutic strategies are desirable to ensure that cardiac output monitoring adds value and becomes part of the routine anesthesia management of high-risk surgical patients.