Preoperative assessment in patients presenting for elective surgery

Perioperative medicine is a specialized, rapidly developing field that focuses on comprehensive patient care from the moment they consider surgery until their full recovery. This patient-centred, multidisciplinary, and integrated approach aims to provide optimal medical care to those undergoing surgical procedures. The goal is to enhance outcomes and patient satisfaction, while also reducing the economic burden on healthcare and society.

Perioperative medicine has become increasingly important especially with the rising number of surgical procedures, as well as an aging population. Older patients undergoing surgery often face challenges due to their advanced age and multiple comorbidities, complicating their recovery journey.

The success of perioperative medicine hinges on the preoperative assessment, where the aim is to identify at-risk patients and modifiable risk factors. Through this process, personalized care can lead to improved perioperative outcomes. The purpose of this article is to give a general account on how patients should be assessed systematically, and more importantly to show the rationale behind such assessments in an elective setting. It is impossible to cover assessment for all comorbidities and surgical pathologies in one article, so further specific review articles should address them individually.