1. What is the Surgical Risk Calculator?

The Surgical Risk Calculator estimates the probability of complications or mortality following a surgical procedure based on patient factors. It helps clinicians and patients make informed decisions about surgical interventions.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses a multifactorial equation:

Where patient factors include:

• Age
• Gender
• Number of comorbidities
• Type of surgery
• Other clinical factors

Explanation: The equation weights each factor according to its contribution to surgical risk, with more significant factors receiving higher weights.

3. Importance of Surgical Risk Assessment

Details: Accurate risk assessment is crucial for preoperative planning, informed consent, and shared decision-making between patients and surgeons.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter patient age in years, select gender, enter the number of significant comorbidities, and select the planned surgery type.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is considered a high surgical risk?
A: Generally, risk >5% is considered elevated, >10% is high, and >20% is very high risk, though thresholds vary by procedure.

Q2: How accurate are surgical risk calculators?
A: Well-validated calculators typically have good discrimination (c-statistics 0.7-0.8) but should be supplemented with clinical judgment.

Q3: What are the most important risk factors?
A: Age, functional status, cardiac/pulmonary disease, and procedure complexity are typically the strongest predictors.

Q4: Can this be used for emergency surgery?
A: Some calculators are validated for emergency cases, but risk prediction is generally less accurate in emergencies.

Q5: Should this replace clinical judgment?
A: No, calculators provide estimates but cannot account for all individual patient factors and should complement clinical evaluation.