Patients without significant medical problems—especially those under age 50—are at very low risk for perioperative complications. Their preoperative evaluation should include a history and physical examination; emphasis should be on a pharmacologic history and assessment of functional status, exercise tolerance, and cardiopulmonary status to look for unrecognized disease that may require further evaluation before surgery. In addition, a directed bleeding history (Table 3–1) should be taken to uncover coagulopathy that could contribute to excessive surgical blood loss.