ABSTRACT
The prevention of a serious postoperative complication is the most compelling reason to perform a preoperative evaluation on a patient. The most common causes of postoperative morbidity are respiratory in nature. This chapter is aimed at helping the clinician identify the surgical candidate at risk for respiratory complications, quantify that risk if possible, and identify those techniques that have proven useful in minimizing that risk. This chapter is structured to first review the pathophysiological changes inherent in anesthesia and then identify the high-risk surgical procedures from a respiratory standpoint. The convergence of a high-risk procedure with a high-risk patient will be highlighted.
