[Preoperative cardiovascular risk evaluation before elective noncardiac surgical interventions]

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Anesthesiology
• Perioperative Medicine

Background:

• Preoperative evaluation is crucial for patient safety.
• Assessing cardiovascular risk is essential before noncardiac surgery.
• Standardized yet individualized approaches are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a practical guide for preoperative cardiovascular risk evaluation.
• To optimize the use of resources by limiting tests to medical necessity.
• To minimize the risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

Main Methods:

• Review of current guidelines and literature.
• Standardized medical history and physical examination.
• Targeted noninvasive and invasive diagnostic investigations based on individual risk.

Main Results:

• Cardiovascular risk assessment should be individualized.
• Diagnostic workup should be guided by patient-specific needs.
• Efficient resource utilization is key.

Conclusions:

• A tailored preoperative cardiovascular risk assessment is essential for elective noncardiac surgery.
• Limiting investigations to medical necessity improves resource allocation.
• The goal is to reduce the incidence of MACE.