Preoperative cardiac evaluation for non-cardiac surgery ; role of myocardial perfusion studies : a review article

Abstract EN

Nuclear cardiology is a growing area within the field of nuclear medicine where radiotracer methods are used to provide non invasive, highly accurate and unique infor·mation on myocardial perfusion, ventricular function, cardiac functional reserve and myocyte recovery potential.

In the preoperative assessment of patients undergoing non car·diac vascular or major general surgery, myocanlial perfusion imaging with pharmacological stress has been shown to be a valuable tool for risk management and prognostication, minimizing perioperative ischemic events and defining long term pr·ognosisl,2• Studies have siHm'n that the pr·esence and extent of rever·sible perfusion defects are the best predictors of pcrioperative cardiac events whereas a normal myocardial perfusion study predicts an essentially benign perioperative course3-5.

This is a review of the subject with a suggested protocol for preoperative evaluation of patients undergoing non-cat·diac vascular I major surgery