Medical clearance for gynecologic surgery.
Physicians are charged to "foremost do no harm." Thus, before doing any surgical procedure, surgeons must convince themselves that the risk to the patient does not outweigh the benefit. The patient with multiple medical problems has additional risk factors for elective surgery. In the past, that patient would be sent to their general practitioner for "medical clearance." With gynecologists now assuming that role for the patient, it is increasingly important for us to understand what comprises medical clearance to better assess hazards. Studies concerning medical clearance for surgery obtained in a MEDLINE search through March 1997 were reviewed; the recent advances that apply to gynecologic surgery are covered in this article.
Monahan
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Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Raleigh 27610-1255, USA.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012308:Risk Management / Q000379:methods*