Introduction
Preoperative management
Medical history and clinical assessment
Routine diagnostic tests
Laboratory tests
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Standard blood count
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International normalised ratio
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Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)
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Concentrations of sodium, potassium, creatinine and glucose
Electrocardiography
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Are >40 years old
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Have relevant cardiac disorders (e.g. coronary artery disease, heart insufficiency, heart rhythm disturbances or valve disorders)
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Have a pacemaker (PM) or implanted cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD)
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Have newly developed pulmonary or cardiac symptoms
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Are receiving preoperative chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy
Chest radiography
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Suffer from severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Developed yet unknown pulmonary or cardiac symptoms
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Have gastrointestinal malignancies (screening for pulmonary metastases)
Advanced diagnostic tests
Echocardiography
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Have newly occurring dyspnoea of unknown origin
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Have known heart insufficiency with symptoms of deterioration
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Have cardiomyopathy and have undergone preoperative chemotherapy with epirubicin (see “Chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy” below)
Carotid Doppler ultrasonography
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Had experienced transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke within the preceding 3 months if the episode had occurred without proper follow-up medical assessment or diagnosis
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Had experienced TIA or stroke within the preceding 3 months if symptoms of deterioration have appeared
Preoperative risk assessment
Definition of “high risk”
Coronary artery disease |
Heart insufficiency |
Renal failure |
Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus |
Older age |
30-Day mortality | Long-term survival |
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Any complication | Older age |
ASA class | Albumin concn (g/dl) |
Emergency surgery | Any complication |
Albumin concn (g/dl) | ASA class |
RBC units transfused intraoperatively | Blood urea nitrogen concn >40 mg/dl |
Older age | COPD |
Sodium concn <135 nmol/l | Smoking |
Disseminated cancer | Diabetes |
Blood urea nitrogen concn >40 mg/dl | Functional status |
SGOT >40 IU/ml | Disseminated cancer |
Risk scores
Cardiac risk evaluation
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Coronary artery disease
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Heart insufficiency
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Severe aortic stenosis
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Peripheral artery disease
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Cerebrovascular insufficiency
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Renal failure
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Diabetes mellitus
Pulmonary risk evaluation
Patient-related factors |
Congestive heart failure |
ASA score ≥2 |
Age >60 years |
COPD |
Functional dependence |
Procedure-related factors |
Abdominal surgery |
Thoracic surgery |
Surgery lasting >3 h |
Emergency surgery |
General anaesthesia |
Laboratory-test-related factors |
Serum albumin concn <3.0 g/dl |
Medication
Beta-adrenergic blockers
Diuretics
Metformin
Acetylsalicylic acid and thienopyridine derivatives
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After percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty without stent implantation: 2 weeks
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After BMS implantation: 6 weeks, but 3 months preferred
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After DES implantation: 1 year
l-Dihydroxyphenylalanine
Pacemaker or implantable cardioverter/defibrillator
Recommendations for patients with a PM |
Bipolar diathermy should always be the method of choice, as monopolar electrodes frequently induce interference. An ultrasonic scalpel is an alternative. |
If monopolar diathermy is necessary, the neutral electrode should be placed as far away from the ICD system as possible, and the use of diathermy within a 15-cm diameter of the system should be avoided. Short bursts of low energy with intermitting short breaks should be used. |
A preoperative system check is recommended if the last one had occurred >1 year previously. |
For patients who are PM dependent (permanent PM stimulation), an alternative external stimulation must be available. |
A magnet should be available in case of PM malfunction. |
Postoperative PM control is recommended if diathermy was used too close to the PM system. It is necessary if the system was reprogrammed preoperatively or if perioperative defibrillation occurred. The control should be performed in the anaesthetic recovery room or at the intensive care unit. |
Additional recommendations for patients with an ICD |
Preoperatively, the antitachycardia function of the ICD should be switched off and the availability of an external defibrillator ensured. |
A magnet should be available to disable the antitachycardia function of the ICD. |
Mechanical bowel preparation
Other preoperative considerations
Smoking
Nutritional support
Obesity
Chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy
Intraoperative management
Prophylactic antibiotics
Preoperative prophylaxis
MRSA
Joint decision-making
Measures for avoiding postoperative complications
Airway management and ventilation
Choice of anaesthetic agents
Glucose control
Fluid management
Temperature management
Intensive and intermediate postoperative care
Postoperative management
Modern opioid-sparing analgesia
Early mobilisation and prevention of venous thromboembolism
In the absence of acute bleeding or other contraindications, all patients hospitalised with an acute medical illness should receive VTE prophylaxis that is commenced preoperatively. |
In patients who are undergoing low-risk surgery and have no risk factors for VTE, pharmacologic prophylaxis is generally not recommended, only graduated compression stockings and frequent ambulation. In our university hospital, however, we prefer to use VTE prophylaxis for every hospitalised patient (in the absence of acute bleeding or other contraindications). |
Common VTE prophylaxis options include low-dose unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH). The latter is contraindicated in patients with renal insufficiency. |
Patients at high risk for developing VTE should receive higher doses of either UFH or LMWH than moderate- or low-risk patients (e.g. enoxaparin 40 versus 20 mg daily). Patients with chronic atrial fibrillation or a mechanical heart valve or who otherwise require therapeutic anticoagulation need to receive weight-adapted LMWH, twice daily, or intravenous aPTT-adjusted UFH. |
Because nonemergency surgery is usually scheduled during daytime hours, subcutaneous prophylaxis should be given in the evening. For patients who require therapeutic anticoagulation, LMWH should be paused on the morning of the operation, while UFH infusion should be discontinued 4 h preoperatively. |
In patients at low or medium risk for postoperative bleeding, LMWH should be continued on the evening after surgery and last until discharge from hospital. In patients who are at high risk for postoperative bleeding, intravenous UFH should be continued immediately after transfer to the ICU (commonly 100–200 U/h). |
Patients who had undergone major abdominal or pelvic surgery for gastrointestinal malignancy should be considered for postdischarge VTE prophylaxis for up to 4 weeks after surgery in the following situations: residual or metastatic disease, obesity or previous history of VTE. |