Perioperative Cardiac Risk Assessment and Management for Noncardiac Surgery

Patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, particularly the elderly and those with known cardiac disease, are at risk for developing postoperative cardiac complications. Preoperative cardiac risk assessment has evolved over the years to risk stratify patients and recommend interventions to lower that risk. This article highlights the recent American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association perioperative guidelines and discusses risk assessment tools and strategies that have been used in an attempt to reduce perioperative cardiac complications.