Ask the doctors: Can surgery cause a heart attack?
Fortunately, that risk is quite low—1% to 2%—for most people and most operations. Colon surgery is, however, a fairly major operation, and your friend's history of heart disease increased his risk for cardiac complications. That said, he needed to have the surgery. The best that can be done in such cases is to do everything possible to minimize the risk, watch closely for problems, and tackle them quickly if they arise. There is always some risk with surgery, but the risk is low and can be made even lower by carefully watching for problems before, during, and after the operation.
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