The benefits of pre-assessment with cardio-pulmonary exercise testing.

This article reviews the benefits of pre-assessment with cardio-pulmonary exercise testing (CPX) and the effectiveness of preoperative interventions in high-risk patients undergoing major surgery. Three patient case studies will be presented from local practice, to give examples of how patients' co-morbidity has been improved prior to surgery or how decisions for surgery can be modified as a result of the CPX test.