Preoperative Evaluation for Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery: What Is the Best Evidence and Recommendations for Clinical Practice

Preoperative evaluation for elective benign gynecologic procedures is a necessary step in reducing perioperative complications. Although a thorough history and physical examination are the foundation of this assessment, much evidence exists that physicians rely on unnecessary laboratory and diagnostic testing. Our goal was to perform a systematic review of the available literature regarding preoperative evaluation to better inform preoperative test selection and to identify deficiencies in the current literature. There is very limited data specific to preoperative testing for patients undergoing gynecologic surgeries. Abnormal test results are common when routine, unselected testing is applied. Using a protocol to guide preoperative testing improves patient care by eliminating unnecessary tests without compromising the efficacy of predicting adverse perioperative events or case cancellation and modifications.