The Association Between Doppler Measures of Cardiac Function and Outcomes in Patients With Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction ≤ 40% Undergoing Noncardiovascular Surgeries

Background: Preoperative risk assessments of individuals who undergo major noncardiac surgery have focused on ischemic heart disease. Information on how to assess the noncardiac surgical risks for patients with depressed cardiac function, as seen in heart failure, is sparse. Echocardiography is routinely performed in patients with depressed cardiac function and is an accepted standard cardiac assessment. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) provides strong independent prognostic implications in a wide range of cardiovascular conditions.