Cardiac screening before noncardiac surgery.

Cardiovascular complications are infrequent but can result in significant morbidity following noncardiac surgery, especially in patients with peripheral vascular disease or increased age. All patients require some level of preoperative screening to identify and minimize immediate and future risk, with a careful focus on known coronary artery disease or risks for coronary artery disease and functional capacity. The 2007 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines are clear that noninvasive and invasive testing should be limited to circumstances in which results will clearly affect patient management or in which testing would otherwise be indicated. beta-Blocker therapy has become controversial in light of recent publications but should be continued in patients already on therapy, and started in patients with high cardiac risk undergoing intermediate- or high-risk surgery.