Demographics Delays to operation Preoperative assessment Comorbidities Imaging The operation Surgeons’ workload Postoperative complications within
30 days of surgery

Elective surgery >> Imaging

Table 6. Types of imaging and outcome n=434. Answers may be multiple.
Type of imaging	Total	% died within 30 days
CT	378	7
Ultrasound	286	5
Angiography	30	7
MRI	6	0
None	8	13
Unknown	1
Not answered	1

The most common imaging investigation was CT. It also illustrates why delays in obtaining access to CT facilities can slow the patient’s journey from first consultation to operation. The next most common investigation was ultrasound. 244 patients were reported as having both ultrasound and CT and 2% (8/432) of patients were reported as having had no preoperative imaging before elective repair.