Štefan Trenkler
Successful surgery for a cardiac patient depends on the team approach in which the anaesthesiologist plays a crucial role. The anaesthesiologist, as an expert in perioperative medicine, can decide about the readiness of the patient for the surgery, stratifies the risk, participates in the preoperative preparation, plans and implements an anaesthesia technique, determines the intensity of monitoring and takes part in the postoperative management. He takes care of the balance between consumption and delivery of oxygen during the surgery, uses beta-blockers for the prevention of ischaemic events, maintains normothermia and ensures the optimal concentration of haemoglobin. It is usually his work in the perioperative time, including first postoperative days, that facilitates a good outcome of surgery.