Cardiovascular risk prediction using clinical risk factors is integral to both the European and the American algorithms for preoperative cardiac risk assessment and perioperative management for non-cardiac surgery. We have reviewed these risk factors and their ability to guide clinical decision making. We examine their limitations and attempt to identify factors which may improve their performa...

PURPOSE We sought to examine whether a preoperative assessment with usual means, available in most hospitals (preoperative histology, pelvic MRI, serum CA-125) can confidently exclude from a full staging surgical procedure low-risk endometrial carcinoma (EC) patients according to ESMO-ESTRO-ESGO criteria (stage I endometrioid EC, grade 1 or 2, myometrial invasion <50% and negative lymphovascula...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Patients without previous history of cardiac disease can be regarded as low-risk when undergoing major non-cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to examine whether preoperative B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level predicted postoperative cardiac events in these patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Preoperative BNP level was measured in 163 patients whose risk was co...

Preoperative identification of individuals at low risk of lymph node metastasis is key to the proper management of endometrial cancer. This study evaluated the role of preoperative assessment based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histological analysis in identifying a group having a low risk of lymph node metastasis. Data of 529 patients with endometrial cancer were obtained from a pros...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Accurate and early identification of high-risk surgical patients allows for targeted use of perioperative monitoring and interventions that may improve their outcomes. This review summarizes current evidence on how information from the preoperative, operative, and immediate postoperative periods can help identify such individuals. RECENT FINDINGS Simple risk indices, such as...

This review considers the changing nature of surgical risk assessment and the definition of risk; discusses the pathophysiology of perioperative myocardial infarction in relation to tests of coronary flow reserve; surveys the extensive literature on preoperative myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and outlines key trends; presents practical points on image interpretation; addresses the needs of ...

BACKGROUND Determinants of the duration of opioid use after surgery have not been reported. We hypothesized that both preoperative psychological distress and substance abuse would predict more prolonged opioid use after surgery. METHODS Between January 2007 and April 2009, a prospective, longitudinal inception cohort study enrolled 109 of 134 consecutively approached patients undergoing maste...

Introduction Thyroid cancer incidence has increased in the previous 2 decades. Preoperative identification of lymph node metastasis is a suggested risk factor associated with recurrence following thyroidectomy. Objectives We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of preoperative radiologic investigations of nodal status in determining the postoperative risk of regional nodal recurrence in cases of well...

BACKGROUND Preoperative anemia is an important risk factor for perioperative red blood cell transfusions, which are associated with postoperative morbidity and mortality. Whether preoperative anemia also is an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes after cardiac surgery, however, has not been fully elucidated. METHODS AND RESULTS In this multicenter cohort study, data were collected on ...

EDITORIAL Table 1 summarizes recommendations based on the presented papers. To prevent infection, it is critical to identify high-risk patients and control those risks prior to surgery. Action must be taken at every step of the surgical process, from preoperative to postoperative protocols, including intraoperative measures. In this Editorial some recent issues that surgeons should explor...