Anesthesia advice is written for a typical patient. This page looks at where a health factor changes that picture and what to bring to the surgeon before a date is set.
What the published guidance starts with
The American Society of Anesthesiologists states that certain health factors can increase surgery and anesthesia risks. Every other point on this page builds on that one sentence.
It tells you that risk is not identical from one patient to the next. It does not tell you which of your own factors count, or how much each one weighs.
When age and other health problems overlap
Age is one of the examples in that guidance. The American Society of Anesthesiologists explains that some anesthesia side effects are more likely to occur in elderly patients, and aging-related health problems such as high blood pressure, clogged arteries, and lung disease can increase risk.
That passage tests a common assumption, that your birth year alone sets your risk. The guidance ties added risk to the health problems that come with age. If you manage one of those conditions at any age, it belongs in the conversation.
Clots are a separate question with the same deadline
Clot risk shows up on its own page here, but it is worth reading alongside anesthesia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention keeps a page that explains venous thromboembolism and blood clots in general terms.
Use it for definitions. Then bring your own history, not the general picture, to the surgeon.
Where a surgeon's judgment takes over
Published guidance names the factors. It does not weigh them against each other for one person. That weighing is left to your surgeon and the anesthesia team, who can see your whole history at once.
Reading a second source helps you ask sharper questions. Cleveland Clinic's overview of anesthesia is one to read next to the American Society of Anesthesiologists material.
What to raise before you decide
Bring a short list to the first consultation. Write down every health condition you manage, every medicine you take, and any past reaction to anesthesia.
Then ask which of those items the surgeon considers relevant. Ask it before you commit to a date, not after the plan is already made.