Perioperative Medicine

Perioperative medicine is a medical specialty dedicated to the comprehensive care of surgical patients, from the time of preoperative evaluation and planning to the postoperative period. It involves the prevention and management of medical complications during the perioperative period, especially during the immediate postoperative period when a patient is at highest risk for medical complications. Perioperative medicine seeks to improve patient-centered outcomes and optimize patient safety, satisfaction, and quality. Its use is growing in all areas of surgeries, including cardiac, thoracic, neurosurgical, obstetric, orthopedic, ophthalmologic, urological and plastic surgeries. By providing comprehensive perioperative care, physicians can help to improve the overall outcomes of surgical procedures by reducing clinical complications and by maximizing the patient’s recovery process.