[Abdominal complications following heart surgery using the heart-lung machine]

Reported in this paper are 17 abdominal complications among 2,161 patients, following cardiac surgery, using cardiopulmonary bypass. This incidence is comparatively low, accounting for only 0.78 percent, whereas figures between 0.3 and 1.6 percent have been reported in the international literature. Lethality worldwide has been quoted to be between 25 and 50 percent and amounted to 23.5 percent for the above patients. This seems to underscore the great importance of early decision-making on appropriate therapy. Haemorrhage from the upper gastro-intestinal tract due to stress-related ulcers had been the predominant finding in this study. Acute pancreatitis developed in two patient, one of them ending in death. Acute cholecystitis and ischaemic colonic gangrene were additional complications. No significant extension of perfusion periods was established, which was in deviation from findings made by other authors.