Preoperative Care, Anesthesia and Early Postoperative Care of Vascular Patients

The changes in the operation technic in the last twenty years may reduce morbidity and mortality of traditionally high – risk vascular surgical procedures. (White CJ&Gray WA, 2007) The indrease of median age, the number of elderly patients will also elevate the number of vascular procedures. Careful preoperative evaluation of patients undergoing vascular surgical intervention holds great significance since this group of patients has almost the highest percentage of accompanying diseases with poor outcome. It is wellknown that vascular disease – irrespectively of its manifestation – is a generalized disorder, the majority of patients with vascular disease smoke and have chronic pulmonary disease, also suffers from diabetes and hypertension. Hypertension and diabetes are often associated with coronary artery disease which determines the short and long-term survival of vascular procedures. Coronary artery disease is one of the most frequent cause of the perioperative mortality and morbidity (1-5%). Goldman et al.( drew the attention to the frequency of cardiac complication of vascular operations as far back as 1977 and aimed to establish a multi-factorial score index. Based on detailed surveys which covered a large patient population the perioperative incidence of myocardial infarction among patient undergoing vascular surgical procedures is 2, 1 – 8, 0 %, whilst the mortality is 0, 6 – 5, 4 %. These examinations did not consider the type of operations – open or endovascular. Beside Goldman’s classic risk index numerous task forces have established their own score system for the assessment of perioperative cardiac risk. All of these highlight the significance of the fact that after being aware of the clinical risk, consultation and mutual decision making of cardiologists, anesthetists and vascular surgeons in evaluation the long-term efficiency and risk ratio is essential. The most important weak point of all score system is the utilization of data derived from patients underwent elective operations. Kertai et al. developed a simplified risk index, which is suitable for the assessment of perioperative mortality of either acute or elective patients undergoing vascular surgical operations. The American College of Cardiologist and the American Heart Association has developed a guideline (2007) for the assessment of Cardiovascular risk among patients with different diseases who are undergoing non-cardiac surgery. This guideline includes the risk assessment for the patient undergoing vascular surgery. Three categories of cardiac risk have been classified in the guideline, high, intermediate and low. High cardiac risk involves the history of acute