Assessment of Perioperative Cardiac Risk

Abstract

About 10 percent of the U.S. population undergoes noncardiac surgery each year. Although the risk of a perioperative myocardial infarction with major surgery is only 1 to 2 percent in patients over the age of 40 years,^1,2 the risk is higher in those who are older or have cardiovascular disease¹³. For example, in patients with well-controlled angina who undergo major vascular surgery, the risk of a perioperative myocardial infarction is 3 to 10 percent, and the risk of death from cardiac causes is 1 to 5 percent^1,47.Several noninvasive cardiac tests, such as preoperative . . .