Preoperative preparation of vascular patients undergoing nonvascular surgery

Patients with vascular diseases mainly caused by atherosclerosis, that are undergoing nonvascular surgery, often have co-existing conditions which affect their cardiovascular system. Cardiovascular complications are among the most common perioperative complications including respiratory complications and infections. These include coronary disease, hypertension, heart insufficiency, pulmonary hypertension, and renovascular hypertension, among others. Preoperative preparation must include the use of beta-blocker therapy, antihypertensive, antithrombotic and antilipogenic therapy. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and trans-thoracic echocardiography are the minimum preoperative diagnostic evaluations that should be performed, because complications may arise even in patients without prior cardiovascular symptomatology. Venous diseases are the most common contemporary diseases affecting people of all age groups and races. Invasive-diagnostic-therapeutic procedures may cause lesions of venous endothelium, hence perioperative prevention of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) with the use of heparin or low-molecular -weight heparin (LMWH) should be undertaken.