Pre-operative Cardiac Risk Assessment

Pre-operative Cardiac Risk Assessment

Why would I need a cardiac pre-operative risk assessment?

• You may need a heart evaluation before surgery to help your doctors make sure your procedure is as safe as possible.
• Even if your surgery is not related to your heart, surgery and anesthesia can place extra stress on the heart—especially if:
  • You have a history of heart disease
  • You take certain medications
  • The planned surgery is more complex
• Needing this assessment does not mean there is a problem—it is often part of routine safety planning.

What is a pre-operative cardiac risk assessment?

• A pre-operative cardiac risk assessment is a review of your heart health before a planned surgery or procedure.
• In the past, this was often called “cardiac clearance.” Today, we use the term cardiac risk assessment because:
  • It helps identify potential heart-related risks
  • It does not automatically approve or deny your surgery
• Your cardiology team may also give temporary recommendations about heart medications before or after surgery, if needed.

How do I know if I need a pre-operative cardiac risk assessment?

• Many low-risk procedures or surgeries do not have any risk to the heart and do not need a formal risk assessment.
• The provider doing the surgery or procedure will decide if a risk assessment is needed.

How long does it take to get a pre-operative cardiac risk assessment?

• The time needed to complete a cardiac risk assessment can vary. We ask that you allow at least 14 business days.
• Timing depends on factors such as:

• • Whether you are new to our cardiology clinic
  • How recently you were last seen by a Pulse Heart provider
  • Whether additional heart testing is needed
• What this may mean for you:
• • If you have never been seen by a Pulse Heart provider, you will need an appointment
  • If you were seen within the last 6–12 months, an appointment may not be needed
  • Some patients need additional testing before a full assessment can be completed. Some examples include:
    • Electrocardiogram (ECG): records your heart’s electrical activity
    • Echocardiogram: ultrasound pictures of your heart
    • Stress testing: shows how your heart works during activity
    • Ultrasound imaging: ultrasound pictures of blood vessels in your body
    • Heart monitor (event monitoring): tracks heart rhythm over time
    • X-ray: radiology images of your heart and lungs
    • Cardiac catheterization: looking inside the blood vessels in the heart with catheters (this may be recommended if other testing is abnormal)

What does the completed risk assessment look like?

Once completed, the cardiac risk assessment is sent as an electronic letter from Pulse Heart Institute directly to your surgeon or procedural team.

• The letter is written specifically for your planned surgery or procedure
• A copy can be printed for you or shared through MyChart upon request
• We cannot provide a generic letter with no specific procedure planned

What factors may affect our ability to provide a cardiac risk assessment?

Certain situations may delay or affect the completion of a cardiac risk assessment, including:

• Recent heart procedures (within the past 6 months)
• Recent hospital stays
• New or worsening symptoms
• Ongoing or pending heart tests
• Surgeries planned outside the Pacific Northwest or outside the U.S.

How do I get a pre-operative cardiac risk assessment done with Pulse?

• In most cases, your surgical or procedural office should send the request to Pulse Heart Institute.
• If you are told that you need a cardiac risk assessment:
  • Ask your surgeon’s office to fax the request to the fax number for the region you are in (see below).
• If you believe you may need an appointment or have questions, you can contact our scheduling team directly:
  • Inland Northwest Region:
    • phone 509-755-5500
    • fax 509-744-1741
  • Puget Sound Region:
    • phone 253-572-7320, option 1, option 1
    • fax 253-428-8240 or 253-627-3191
  • Capital Pacific Region:
    • phone 360-252-3890
    • fax 360-549-7835
  • Yakima Region:
    • phone 509-248-7715
    • fax 509-249-4469