A Retrospective Multicenter Experience: Does Packing the Surgical Field Help to Stop Bleeding After Cardiac Surgery

Intractable bleeding after cardiac surgery is a well-documented complication. When conservative measures fail to control bleeding, re-exploration is required, and, in some cases, chest packing may be needed.

The study included 148 patients admitted to eight cardiac surgery centers in Egypt with severe postoperative bleeding. All patients underwent chest re-exploration and chest packing to control postoperative bleeding.

The mean age was 62.7 ± 5.6 years. Their mean BMI was 27.1 ± 3.9 kg/m2. One-hundred-ten (74.3%) of included patients were hypertensive, while 49 (33.1%) patients were diabetic. Twenty-seven (18.2%) patients had initially had a triple valve replacement. Sepsis was prevalent among 31 (20.9%) of included patients. Twenty (13.5%) patients died.

Intractable bleeding is a well-documented complication following cardiac surgery. Chest re-exploration is required in certain situations when the traditional conservative options fail to stop bleeding. Chest packing is a modality that can be considered to control bleeding in certain situations.