Key result
Preoperative anaesthetic consultation led to the postponement of planned surgery due to undiagnosed health problems in two patients, proving life-saving in one case.
Why the study?
Does preoperative anaesthetic consultation improve outcomes in patients scheduled for planned surgery?
Case Report (n=2)
Does preoperative anaesthetic consultation improve outcomes in patients scheduled for planned surgery?
Preoperative anaesthetic consultation can identify important undiagnosed health problems leading to the postponement of surgery, though literature primarily supports its role in reducing hospital stay and testing costs.
May identify critical undiagnosed risks preoperatively; leaves open whether routine consultation improves outcomes.
This report describes two patients for whom the preoperative, anaesthetic consultation led to postponing planned surgery because of important, undiagnosed health problems. In one of the two cases, this consultation was even life-saving. However, actual literature cannot prove any advantage on the outcome of the individual patient. The only proven advantages in favour of pre-operative consultation are a reduced length of stay in the hospital and a reduction in the cost of preoperative testing.
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Raes et al. (2014) conducted a case report in Planned surgery (n=2). Preoperative anaesthetic consultation was evaluated on Postponement of planned surgery. Preoperative anaesthetic consultation led to the postponement of planned surgery due to undiagnosed health problems in two patients, proving life-saving in one case.
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