[Significance of preoperative prognosis]

The granulocyte phagocytosis test, Karnofsky index, and ASA standard were used in the context of 287 patients for general surgery, for the purpose of retrospective elucidation of the relationship between presurgical prognostication and postsurgical complications. Sensitivity, specificity, and "predictive values" were calculated. The highest information potential in terms of prognostication was recorded from objectively measurable granulocyte phagocytosis. Presurgical prognostication was found to be of clinical relevance only to surgical problem patients.