Perioperative Medicine

Preparation for elective surgery - procedures that are planned in advance rather than in response to a medical emergency - has historically required that patients undergo a series of tests to determine their medical fitness. Individuals who met an established set of criteria were considered to be “cleared for surgery.” Today, the patient’s medical readiness and comfort, as well as coordination and quality of his or her care before and after surgery, is the focus of an area of medicine known as perioperative care.

Through integrated collaboration, the prevailing culture and essential commitment at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is to provide the highest quality of patient care, to achieve the best possible treatment outcomes and to assure patient satisfaction with all aspects of the patient experience. The patient’s surgeon relies on the team of physicians constituting Perioperative Services at HSS to oversee this integrated, collaborative care.