Pre-Operative Cardiac Risk Assessment and Risk Reduction

For patients undergoing major non-cardiac surgery, perioperative management often focuses on recognition and treatment of cardiac risk factors and disease. Dr. Don Poldermans, professor of medicine and head of perioperative cardiac care at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, joins host Dr. Doug Weaver to explain how medical treatment and testing should factor into pre-operative preparations. How should you proceed with patients who you suspect possesses some risk, but displays no risk factors? Does aspirin complicate our approach to certain surgeries for certain patients?