Possible Complications in Patients after Open Heart Surgery - the Role of the General Practitioner

Overview

Early or late complications occasionally occur after cardiosurgery. The early ones are mostly recognized and treated in hospital but some may develop later after the patient’s discharge. This article summarizes the most frequent complications the physician can be confronted with (pericardial effusion and pericardial tamponade, diaphragm paralysis, pulmonary embolism, prosthetic valve thrombosis and pannus, paravalvular leak, prosthetic valve endocarditis, sternal wound infection, saphenous vein donor site infection, angina perctoris recurrence, supraventricular arrhythmias). A case of late pericardial tamponade after an aortic valve replacement is presented.

Key words:
open heart surgery - complications - diagnosis - therapy