Pre-operative assessment of cardiac patients for non-cardiac surgery

Non-cardiac surgery presents significant risks to patients with cardiac diseases. With the improvement in anaesthetic techniques and intensive care facilities, many cardiac patients who in the past would have been considered as being at too great a risk are now being considered for non-cardiac surgery. Smaller centres must still practise strict selection of patients if they do not possess an intensive care unit with facilities for full haemodynamic monitoring. We present a review of the recent literature and current practice at our hospital to assist clinicians in assessing these patients for anaesthesia. However, the final decision whether the patient is fit for anaesthesia still rests with the anaesthetist.