Maximising the benefit from pre-operative cardiac evaluation for elective, non-cardiac surgery

Patients scheduled for elective surgery are commonly cancelled because an existing cardiac problem is felt to need review. Currently, the positive yield of pre-operative cardiac review is low, largely because communication between specialties is poor and an explicit question is not asked of the cardiac team. All practitioners need to agree upon the proper criteria for cardiac referral, and upon the proper aims of the cardiac review. In particular, the term 'fit for surgery' must be abandoned