PATIENT INFORMATION
What if the assessment finds a medical problem I did not know about?
Sometimes the pre-anaesthesia assessment brings an unrecognised problem to attention - for example high blood pressure, anaemia, an abnormal blood glucose result, a heart murmur or symptoms suggesting sleep apnoea. The next step depends on the finding and on how urgent the surgery is.
The anaesthesia team may repeat a measurement, request a test, speak to your surgeon, ask for a specialist opinion, or advise follow-up with your usual doctor. Finding a problem before surgery can be useful because it gives the team time to understand whether it matters for the operation and how it should be managed.
A single abnormal value does not always establish a long-term diagnosis. The purpose of the pre-anaesthesia setting is to recognise what may matter now, arrange appropriate confirmation or follow-up, and make the perioperative plan safer.