General principles and practices of perioperative medicine

Abstract

This chapter reviews the principles and practices pertaining to the preoperative medical consultation. The evaluation of a patient’s suitability to undergo surgery should be approached in a systematic fashion. The chapter also presents a stepwise method for the preoperative assessment beginning with the ascertainment of the presence, severity, and degree of control of all comorbid conditions, their subsequent optimization, after which an assessment of risk can be made. Preventive measures and patient education are subsequent steps in the preparation of a patient for surgery.