Gastrointestinal Complications After Cardiac Surgery: A Nationwide Population-Based Analysis of Morbidity and Mortality Predictors

Objective The authors aimed to evaluate the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of gastrointestinal (GI) complications in cardiac and aortic surgery using recent versions of the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample (NIS) to provide clinicians with a better understanding of these uncommon but potentially serious complications. Design Population-based study. Setting NIS database 2010-2012. Participants Patients undergoing cardiac and aortic aneurysm repair surgeries. Interventions Not applicable. Measurements and Main Results The most common GI complication was postoperative ileus, which also had the lowest mortality, followed by GI hemorrhage. Mesenteric ischemia demonstrated the highest mortality, followed by intestinal perforation. Mortality was highest in those with infective endocarditis (16.02%), followed by myocardial infarction (12.48%). GI complications were highest in patients undergoing repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm, followed by off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Conclusion In conclusion, this study demonstrated that GI complications after cardiac surgery occurred at a rate of 4.17%, which is similar to that reported in the NIS database from 1998 to 2002 in coronary artery bypass grafting patients, but higher than that previously described in single-center studies. GI complications after cardiac surgery increased inpatient mortality 3-fold and more than doubled length of stay. Improved recognition and understanding of the predisposing risk factors and complications elucidated in this study could serve to increase the necessity for timely diagnosis and treatment of patients at high risk for GI complications after cardiac surgery.