Role of dobutamine stress echocardiography for preoperative cardiac risk assessment before major vascular surgery: a diagnostic tool comes of age.
BACKGROUND
Cardiac complications are a major cause for perioperative mortality and morbidity. Also, the presence and severity of underlying coronary artery disease (CAD) determine long-term prognosis after successful surgery.


OBJECTIVE
This overview evaluates the additional value of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) to common clinical cardiac risk factors and other noninvasive cardiac imaging modalities for perioperative and late cardiac prognosis.


RESULTS
DSE provides theattending physician with preoperative prognostic information for perioperative and long-term prognosis for cardiac events. It also enables the selection of high risk patients for evaluation of cardiac risk reduction therapies.


CONCLUSIONS
DSE is a useful tool for preoperative cardiac risk evaluation in addition to common clinical cardiac risk factors.
Poldermans
D
D
Department of Vascular Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Dr Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Bax
J J
JJ
Thomson
I R
IR
Boersma
E
E
van Der Meer
P
P
Fioretti
P M
PM
Elhendy
A
A
van De Ven
L M
LM
Roelandt
J R
JR
van Urk
H
H
D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D004280:Dobutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*
D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D004280:Dobutamine