PRE-OP TESTING
Medical consultants are generally asked to assess preoperative risk in most patients who are to undergo surgery. Even if you are a relatively healthy person, pre-op testing is often necessary if you are to undergo an elective surgical procedure. A general systems examination should identify obvious abnormalities:
- Cardiovascular system – heart murmur. With the exception of emergency surgery, patients should be hemodynamically stable and their vital signs normal before starting anesthesia
- Respiratory system – abnormal breath sounds
- Gastrointestinal system – abdominal masses, previous scars
- Musculoskeletal system – skeletal malformations such as kyphoscoliosis
- General – local skin infection
