Abstract
Patients with peripheral vascular disease are at increased risk for nsk stratification have been recommended to optimize patient care. Preoperative cardiac evalution involves integrating knowledge of the risk of the surgical procedure with known clinical factors and the results of noninvasive testing. Preperative assessment should a) identify patients at externley high risk for whom the planned surgery should be canceled or altered; b) indentify patients with correctable medical problems who may benefit from medical optimization or coronary revascularization to try to decrease risk; c) determine which patients may benefit from invasive or intensive monitoring; and d) assess long-term cardiac risk, as this may affect the choice procedure. A review of the literature on this topic is provided, and patient management algorithm is presented.