ABSTRACT
Risk assessment is a fundamental component of contemporary surgical practice. It is important for three reasons. First, appropriate selection of surgical patients depends upon the balance between the benefit likely to be derived from the surgical procedure and the risk posed by that intervention. Second, an assessment of risk will guide the surgeon and anaesthetist as to the degree of supportive care that will be required in the postoperative period. Sometimes risk assessment will also identify factors amenable to optimization in the immediate preoperative phase. Last, adjustment for surgical risk is essential for accurate performance evaluation. Increasingly, surgeons’ outcomes are subjected to professional and public scrutiny. Adjustment of outcome measures for risks that are outside the surgeon’s control are essential for meaningful representation of morbidity and mortality rates in this context.
