Pre-operative Risk Stratification Update for Cardiac and Major Vascular Surgery

Pre-operative risk stratification of patients for cardiac and major vascular procedures remains an evolving process. There are several models that generate risk scores and estimate post-operative morbidity and mortality outcomes. In addition to predicting outcomes, risk stratification can guide the need for further perioperative investigations and also assist in providing individualized therapy. An ideal model for risk stratification is one with not only good validity but is also reproducible. The risk stratification system needs to be applicable across diverse patient populations and hospital practice. In this article, we review various pre-operative risk stratification models and access their usefulness for cardiac and major vascular surgery.