ABSTRACT

All surgical procedures carry risk factors as well as benefits. Identification of these risks preoperatively will decrease postoperative complications. A complication is an unplanned and unexpected pathologic situation. Some acceptable complications such as postoperative bronchitis, even may lead to lobar atelectasis, pneumonia, sepsis, respiratory failure, ventricular tachycardia, and death.

Patients should be evaluated preoperatively in an attempt to predict the occurrence of pulmonary complications postoperatively. Using a history and physical examination to detect the existence of underlying heart or lung disease may perform this effort. Data of follow-up physiologic tests done to confirm the degree of impairment or improvement reveal medical status of patients preoperatively.

In this article, pulmonary physiologic assessment of operative risk was reviewed.