Preoperative Surgical Cardiac Risk Assessment

Preoperative Cardiac Risk Assessment

All surgeries, even minor ones like cataract removal, put a certain amount of stress on your body including your heart and cardiovascular system. Cardiac surgeries create an additional amount of stress on your heart. Before your surgery, your surgeon may require a preoperative cardiac risk assessment, especially if you have a high risk of a cardiovascular event.

A preoperative cardiac risk assessment is a thorough physical exam to identify signs and symptoms of heart disease, heart failure, and severe vascular disease that could create complications during surgery. Based on the outcome of the cardiac risk assessment, your surgeon can determine a plan to reduce cardiac risk.

What to Expect During a Preoperative Cardiac Risk Assessment

During a preoperative cardiac risk assessment, Dr. Nadar will review your medical history and perform a physical exam. Based on your current health conditions, several diagnostic tests may also be performed including:

• Stress testing
• Cardiac MRI
• Cardiac CT
• Echocardiogram

Cardiovascular testing is rarely performed for patients with a low risk of cardiac complications during surgery. The testing is designed to determine if high-risk patients can undergo surgery safely. Based on the outcome of the tests, your surgeon can determine the best path forward for your surgery. If your surgeon is requiring a preoperative cardiac risk assessment, call Capital Area Cardiovascular Associates to schedule an appointment. We can see new patients within 2 weeks and acute visits the same day. With offices in Camp Hill, Pa. and Newport, Pa., we are conveniently located to most patients in the Central PA region.