Preoperative Evaluation in the 21st Century

The preanesthesia evaluation is the process of clinical assessment that precedes the delivery of anesthesia care. It provides the foundation for creating the perioperative anesthesia and pain management plan.¹  The goal is to identify any factors that would prevent the patient from safely having anesthesia in their current state, counsel the patient on the risks and benefits of the proposed anesthetic plan, and obtain informed consent. The preanesthesia evaluation is a cornerstone of the professional role of the anesthesiologist and has been demonstrated to reduce preoperative anxiety.² 

Advancements in surgical techniques and anesthesia safety have resulted in the opportunity to offer surgery and invasive procedures to patients with a higher degree of medical complexity and burden from chronic illnesses than in past decades.³  Furthermore, our understanding of the factors associated with poor perioperative outcomes has expanded beyond medical complexity to include domains such as social drivers, health...