There are no set guidelines to determine a patient's 'fitness for anaesthesia'. The anaesthetic pre-operative evaluation is essentially a risk assessment for surgery. In the end, the decision is whether the benefits of surgery outweigh the risks, and whether the patient is happy to go ahead with the procedure knowing the risks involved. The assessment aims to get the patient as fit as possible for their procedure to reduce perioperative complications. The anaesthetist evaluates the patient's pre-operative state and aims to optimise the management of any co-morbidities. The patient's GP is key in facilitating this and patients are often referred back to primary care, which can delay surgery. This article covers 10 common things that can result in a referral from pre-operative assessment back to the GP. It discusses how early intervention and management of these conditions in the community prior to referring patients to surgery can help avoid them being deemed 'unfit for anaesthesia'.
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