The Immunocompromised Surgical Patient

General surgeons are encountering an increasing number of cases involving immunosuppressed patients due to a number of factors, including the improvement in treatment for HIV, increased survival following solid-organ transplantation, and more aggressive chemotherapy. These groups of patients present unique challenges for the surgeon and often require more comprehensive preoperative assessment and perioperative monitoring. This review addresses the surgical management of these immunocompromised populations, with specific recommendations for each type of patient. Tables outline opportunistic infections and antibiotic prophylaxis; common immunosuppressive medications, posttransplantation drug levels, and side effects for renal transplant recipients; components of preoperative workup involving suspected infection in immunocompromised patients; and anesthetics and demonstrated impact on immune response and cancer recurrence. Graphs display the number of AIDS diagnoses and deaths and people living with AIDS and HIV in the United States over time, and compare percentages of death certificates reporting opportunistic infection versus chronic disease in the HIV-infected population. Management algorithms outline approaches to patients with defects in host defenses and candidates for transplantation to be deliberately immunosuppressed. This review contains 2 graphs, 2 management algorithms, 4 tables, 157 references, and 5 annotated key references.