Complementary exams are routinely done before middle and large surgical procedures. However, their necessity is questionable since most of them are usually normal or their results are previously supposed. In order to verify the usefulness of preoperative exams to prevent surgical complications, the present investigation took place. We revised 117 charts of patients submitted to large abdominal (66,6%) and/or thoracic (33,4%) operations for trauma at lhe Emergency of the João XXIII Hospital of Belo Horizonte, between 1985 and 1995. All patients were identified and their preoperative exams and the postoperative complications were assessed. The age of the 76 men and 41 women ranged between 20 and 79 years old. Most of the exams (49,2%) were abnormal, but all findings were supposed by the clinical exams. Only 1,6% of these abnormalities were related to postoperative complications. No postoperative complication was related to the 70,4% radiographic abnormalities. The most common complications were wound abscess, cardiopulmonary arrest and pneumonia. None of the complications could be prevented by any complementary exam. In the present study, the results of the preoperative exams did not modify the approach of the patients and their alterations had not influence on the postoperative complications.
Preoperative exams; Complementary exams; Postoperative complications; Accident; Emergency; Trauma