Cochrane: As the population is ageing, more people will undergo major vascular surgery, which carries an increased risk of cardiac complications. The increased risk of cardiac complications is often the result of asymptomatic heart disease. Treating severe symptoms, such as critical limb ischaemia (severely narrowed arteries of the lower limbs resulting in rest pain, ulcers, or gangrene), in people with peripheral arterial disease is a common reason for undergoing vascular surgery, which carries an increased risk
heart attack (myocardial infarction) ranging from 5% to 24% during and
shortly after surgery.