[Cardiopulmonary risk factors. Recognition, evaluation and treatment in surgical interventions in advanced age]

In surgical procedures intra- and postoperative cardiopulmonary complications rank first in the elderly patient. Cardiovascular risk factors in the preoperative judgement include chronic cor pulmonale, coronary heart disease and cardiac rhythm disturbances. Moreover pulmonary-respiratory risks and arterial hypertension play a very important role. In order to lower the intra- and postoperative risks, it is necessary to establish a thorough preoperative diagnosis and to establish a differential therapeutic work-up considering the underlying heart disease. Here balanced electrolytes seem to be particularly important. Only under these circumstances it will be possible to perform major surgical procedures in the elderly patient with an acceptable risk.