Bleeding Following Beating Heart Bypass Surgery

There are several treatments for bleeding following beating heart bypass surgery. Tell your surgeon if you have a history of abnormal bleeding. Bleeding following beating heart bypass surgery is a serious complication and can require a blood transfusion. Blood from the blood bank is generally safe, as it has been tested for AIDS and other diseases before being given to you.

Off-Pump Bypass Surgery Complications

Bleeding Following Beating Heart Bypass Surgery: An Overview

While some bleeding during and after

beating heart bypass surgery (also called off-pump bypass surgery) is normal, uncontrollable bleeding and/or damage to a major blood vessel are possible complications of this procedure. There are different causes of serious bleeding and different ways to stop it; sometimes it even stops by itself. But if it doesn't stop right away, your surgeon may have to spend additional time in the operating room to correct the cause. If bleeding following beating heart bypass surgery continues or increases, another surgery may be required.

You should let your surgeon know if you have a history of abnormal bleeding. If significant bleeding does happen, you may need a blood transfusion. This means you will be given extra blood from the blood bank. Getting blood like this is usually safe. The blood is tested for AIDS and other diseases, like hepatitis, before it's given to you.

There is a small chance that you can get a disease or infection from blood, but this is rare. The risk for getting hepatitis C is about 1 out of 100,000; for hepatitis B, it's 1 out of 200,000. The risk of getting HIV is about 1 out of 600,000.