Implementation of anaesthesia begins with a preoperative assessment of the surgical patient and development of an anaesthetic plan. Preparation of the patient includes the preoperative assessment, review of preoperative tests, optimisation of medical conditions, adequate preoperative fasting, appropriate premedication, and the explanation of anaesthetic risk to patients. The goals of preoperative preparation are to reduce the morbidity of surgery, to increase the quality while decreasing the cost of perioperative care, and to return the patient to desirable functioning as quickly as possible. A knowledgeable anaesthesiologist is the ‘final clinical gatekeeper’, who coordinates perioperative management, and ensures that the patient is in the optimal state for anaesthesia and surgery.