Four thousand cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) are implanted yearly in Croatia with constant increase. General anesthesia and surgery carry some specific risk for the patients with implanted CIEDs. Since most of the surgical procedures are performed in institutions without reprogramming devices available, or in the periods when they are unavailable, these guidelines aim to standardize the protocol for perioperative management of these patients. With this protocol, most of the procedures can be performed easily and, more importantly, safely in the majority of surgical patients.
Keywords: Anesthesia, General; Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Devices; Croatia; Guideline; Perioperative Care.