Perioperatively

Perioperatively refers to the period around a surgical procedure, encompassing preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases. The term is used to describe care, events, and outcomes that occur around the time of surgery.

Preoperative activities include patient assessment, optimization of chronic conditions, risk stratification, nutrition and physical fitness optimization (prehabilitation), informed consent, and planning for anesthesia and postoperative care. Intraoperative care involves anesthesia management, hemodynamic stability, blood loss control, infection prevention, and the execution of the surgical plan. Postoperative care focuses on recovery, pain control, nausea prevention, early mobilization, wound care, and discharge planning.

Perioperative care is delivered by a multidisciplinary team, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and nutritionists. The goals are to reduce complications, minimize hospital stay, and improve functional recovery. Evidence-based pathways, such as enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols, guide perioperative management and emphasize optimization before, during, and after surgery.

Common perioperative considerations include infection prophylaxis, venous thromboembolism prevention, blood conservation, delirium prevention in high-risk patients, and strategies for effective pain control and nausea management. Outcomes commonly evaluated include morbidity, mortality, length of stay, readmission rates, and patient-reported recovery.

Etymology and usage: The term perioperative derives from peri- meaning around and operative, and perioperatively is used to describe actions performed around the time of operation.