Gastrointestinal Complications Following Heart Surgery: An Updated Review

Gastrointestinal (GI) complications occurring after cardiac surgery are considered as “second line” complications due to their scarcity. Cardiac surgeons, ICU staff and nursing personnel are usually aware and suspicious of cardiac-related mishappenings after heart surgery; however they often tend to underestimate potentially lethal manifestations involving the gastrointestinal track, or organs of the abdomen and subsequent complications because of their relative infrequency and the fact that they lack a “visible connection” to the primary target organ of the operation.