ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the health issues related to gastrointestinal tract. It also explains preoperative assessment, preoperative optimisation, premedication, perioperative management, postoperative management, analgesia and the outcomes. These issues include chronic liver disease, disorders of the oesophagus and of swallowing, malnutrition, obesity, previous liver transplant and jaundice. Chronic liver disease is an increasingly common condition in patients presenting for elective and emergency surgery. Disorders of the oesophagus and the swallowing mechanism present hazards to the patient undergoing anaesthesia because mechanisms to clear the pharynx of foreign material and keep it clear may be compromised. Malnutrition occurs when there is a negative balance between nutritional supply and demand. Obese patients frequently present for urgent and elective surgery. Obesity is a chronic nutritional disorder associated with hypertension, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, diabetes, liver cirrhosis and hiatus hernia. Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and sclera that results from increased amounts of bilirubin in the body.
