Free intra-abdominal hemorrhage after open-heart surgery: an unusual gastrointestinal complication

Tex Heart Inst J. 2006;33(4):523-5.

Abstract

Gastrointestinal complications after open-heart surgery are rare. Many preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors may predispose patients to these complications or cause them. Our patient was a 64-year-old woman who underwent aortic valve replacement due to aortic stenosis. Free intra-abdominal hemorrhage occurred on the 2nd postoperative day. During exploratory laparotomy, it was determined that the hemorrhage was from a vein near the falciform ligament of the liver and from a bleeding laceration of the splenic capsule. The complication was repaired surgically. To our knowledge, intra-abdominal hemorrhage of both liver and spleen after open-heart surgery has never been reported before, even in large patient series. We report the case and present our ideas regarding the cause of the bleeding.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aortic Valve Stenosis / complications*
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis / surgery
  • Cardiopulmonary Bypass*
  • Female
  • Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation*
  • Hemorrhage / diagnosis
  • Hemorrhage / etiology*
  • Hemorrhage / therapy
  • Humans
  • Laparoscopy*
  • Liver Diseases / diagnosis
  • Liver Diseases / etiology*
  • Liver Diseases / therapy
  • Middle Aged
  • Postoperative Complications*
  • Splenic Diseases / diagnosis
  • Splenic Diseases / etiology*
  • Splenic Diseases / therapy