Perioperative Beta Blockade: A Practice in Need of Optimisation

Abstract

As anaesthetists, one of our primary objectives is to prevent complications in the perioperative period. Cardiovascular complications, in particular, are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The introduction of beta blocker medication around the time of major non-cardiac surgery continues to be one of the most controversial practices in perioperative medicine. The practice targets a reduction in the incidence and severity of major cardiovascular events.