• Kazunori Yoshida, Masahiko Matsumoto, Takaaki Sugita, Junichiro Nishizawa, Katsuhiko Matsuyama, Yoshiyuki Tokuda, and Takehiko Matsuo.
• Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Tenri Hospital, Nara, Japan.
• Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2005 Feb 1;11(1):25-8.

PurposeGastrointestinal complications (GICs) such as gastroduodenal ulcer, enterocolitis, and ischemic colitis after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are rare, but are associated with high mortality and morbidity. The present study was performed to detect risk factors and to investigate outcomes following GICs after CABG.MethodsBetween January 1992 and December 2001, 17 of 549 patients (3.1%) developed GICs after CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass, presenting with gastrointestinal bleeding due to gastroduodenal ulcer, enterocolitis, or ischemic colitis. We conducted a retrospective analysis of these patients.ResultsAll patients required emergent treatment for hemorrhage by means of blood transfusion and endoscopic ablation and/or clipping. The following possible predictors of GICs were identified by logistic multivariate analysis: age over 70, diabetes mellitus (particularly insulin-dependent diabetes), history of cerebrovascular disease or history of renal failure and postoperative low output syndrome (LOS).ConclusionOur results suggested that GICs after CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass are rare but can be lethal. Early diagnosis and prompt intervention can be difficult but are potentially life saving for patients in whom GICs develop.

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