Background: The 2014 ACC/AHA Perioperative Guidelines suggest using the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI), myocardial infarction or cardiac arrest (MICA), or American College of Surgeons (ACS)-NSQIP calculators for combined patient-surgical risk assessment. However, there is no published data comparing their performance. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed records of 663 patients seen in our preop clinic who [...]

Case Presentation: A 69-year-old woman presented for an elective multi-level lumbar laminotomy for the treatment of chronic back pain secondary to spinal canal stenosis. Her medical history included hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. She reported a history of depression, which was well controlled on paroxetine. She denied using drugs, stated she quit tobacco decades prior, and reported [...]