Preoperative assessment in the pregnant patient

Background: Pregnant women have the real possibility of undergoing surgical interventions or invasive procedures related to pregnancy or non-obstetric conditions. Preoperative assessment is a priority to identify risk factors and prevent adverse maternal-fetal complications. The internist, the cardiology specialist, the intensive care physician and the anesthesiologist are responsible for preparing the preoperative assessment and issuing recommendations. This review includes the physiological changes of pregnancy and their clinical implications regarding the anesthetic technique and the surgical approach, the most relevant aspects of preeclampsia-eclampsia and cesarean section, the preoperative management of the patient who is a candidate for pregnancy-related surgery. and also with non-obstetric surgery. The evaluation scales that are most frequently used are reviewed, mainly those that take into account the condition of the pregnancy and also the safety of the drugs with respect to the fetal risk. Keywords: Pregnancy; Preoperative assessment; Obstetric surgery and pregnancy; Non-obstetric surgery and pregnancy; Maternal-fetal outcome, High-risk pregnancy.