[Is the demand for a preoperative routine examination program justified?].

In a retrospective study with 136, 943 general and regional anaesthesias we demonstrated that the frequency of intraoperative cardiovascular complications is directly connected to the quality of preoperative examination and therapy proceedings. In addition to a careful preoperative clinical examination, a routine examination programme (REP) therefore should be carried out which determines relevant functional disorders of the essential organs and which gives the essential condition for an optimal preparation for surgery.