Before surgery, it’s vital to know your heart is ready. At California Cardiac Institute, we provide thorough preoperative evaluation and cardiac clearance to minimize risks, prevent complications, and help you proceed safely with surgery.
Ensure Your Heart is Ready
for Surgery
Preoperative evaluation, sometimes called cardiac clearance, is the process of carefully assessing your heart health before surgery. Because surgery puts extra stress on the body, especially the heart, this helps identify potential risks and prevent complications. At California Cardiac Institute, your physician reviews your medical history, performs an exam, and may recommend advanced diagnostic testing such as an echocardiogram or a cardiac PET scan. This ensures you and your surgical team can proceed safely with surgery.
Advantages of Preoperative Evaluation & Clearance:
- Detect hidden heart conditions before surgery
- Reduce risks of surgical and anesthesia complications
- Optimize medications and treatments in advance
- Provide surgeons with a clear cardiac risk profile
- Prevent delays by identifying issues early
- Ensure your heart is strong enough for surgery
- Increase confidence for you and your surgical team
What Preoperative Evaluation & Clearance Includes
Medical History and Discussion
Your evaluation begins with a discussion about your medical history, current medications, lifestyle habits, and any prior surgeries you may have had. We ask detailed questions about symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, or fatigue, as well as chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol. This helps us understand your unique health profile and risk factors.
Physical Examination
Your physician will then perform a careful physical examination to assess the current state of your heart and vascular health. This includes checking your blood pressure, heart rate, and rhythm, while looking for warning signs like fluid retention, swelling, or vascular changes that could complicate surgery. The examination helps identify subtle issues that may not appear in routine lab results, ensuring a complete picture of your cardiovascular readiness.
Advanced Diagnostic Testing
Depending on your risk factors and the type of surgery planned, we may recommend further testing. At our state-of-the-art imaging center, we offer:
- Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) to measure your heart’s electrical activity
- Echocardiogram to assess heart structure and function
- Stress testing to evaluate how your heart responds to exertion
- Holter or event monitoring to track the heart rhythm over time
- Vascular ultrasound to check circulation and blood flow
- Cardiac PET scan for a detailed mapping of the entire heart for early diagnosis
Creating Your Clearance Plan
After completing the evaluation, we provide a detailed clearance report for your surgeon. This includes your cardiovascular risk profile, recommendations for medication adjustments, and any special precautions needed during surgery. In some cases, additional treatment or optimization may be required, for example, managing blood pressure, treating arrhythmias, or addressing blocked arteries, to ensure your surgery is as safe as possible.
Who Needs Cardiac Clearance?
Preoperative evaluation is especially important if you:
- Have a history of heart disease, arrhythmia, or stroke
- Experience symptoms such as chest pain or unexplained shortness of breath
- Have chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol
- Are scheduled for high-risk surgeries, such as major orthopedic or vascular procedures
- Are over the age of 65 with additional risk factors
Even if you have never been diagnosed with heart disease, consultation may still be recommended depending on your overall health and the type of surgery planned.
Schedule Your Consultation
California Cardiac Institute is committed to keeping you safe before surgery with a comprehensive preoperative evaluation and cardiac clearance. Led by Dr. Paul, a Harvard-trained physician with 30+ years of experience, our team uses advanced diagnostics, including the cardiac PET scan, to ensure your heart is fully prepared. Since surgery cannot always wait, we offer same-day appointments and accept walk-ins for timely care. Schedule your consultation for preoperative evaluation and clearance in Glendale, California, today.
