Possible complications from open heart surgery can range from nausea to stroke to loss of life. This page of the eMedTV site outlines several minor and major open heart surgery complications and offers information on how often they occur.
Minor skin infections and major infections in the chest cavity are possible with open heart surgery. This eMedTV Web segment describes these possible open heart surgery infections and how they are treated.
As explained in this eMedTV page, some bleeding following open heart surgery is normal. However, if bleeding is severe, blood and blood products are often used. This article describes the ways of stopping severe bleeding after open heart surgery.
A heart attack is a possible and serious complication of open heart surgery. This eMedTV Web page provides helpful information about what a heart attack is and gives statistics about how often a heart attack with open heart surgery typically occurs.
A stroke occurs in about 5 out of every 100 open heart surgeries. This eMedTV page discusses the possibility of stroke during open heart surgery and explains how your body can be affected by a stroke in many ways, such as paralysis or loss of speech.
Lung problems after bypass surgery can range from pneumonia to bleeding to lung failure. This page of the eMedTV site explains who is at increased risk for developing these problems. This page also discusses treatment options for these lung problems.
Atrial fibrillation (a type of abnormal heart rhythm) sometimes occurs after cardiac surgery. This part of the eMedTV library describes the symptoms of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery and explains how your doctor can treat it.
As this eMedTV article explains, it is possible to develop abnormal scars following open heart surgery, especially if you have a history of keloids (excessive, thick scarring). This article covers abnormal scar formation following open heart surgery.
After open heart surgery, mild kidney problems can occur in up to 20 percent of patients. This part of the eMedTV library provides statistics about kidney problems as a complication of bypass surgery and discusses the possibility of chronic dialysis.
Allergic reaction to medication is one of the risks of open heart surgery. As this eMedTV page explains, it's important to talk with your doctor about your allergies and current medications in order to reduce medication risk with open heart surgery.
As this eMedTV page explains, open heart surgery patients may experience wound breakdown (when the tissue layers of the wound do not grow back together correctly). This page gives an overview of wound breakdown as an open heart surgery complication.
Artery and organ injury can sometimes occur as complications of bypass surgery. This selection from the eMedTV archives describes the typical treatment for an injury to arteries or organs after bypass surgery.
Grafts can close after open heart surgery, as this eMedTV page explains. However, this is more common in people who smoke or have high cholesterol. This page talks about graft failure and open heart surgery, and what to expect if the graft closes.
The risk of infections and other problems after open heart surgery is increased for people with diabetes. This eMedTV page provides detailed information on diabetics and open heart surgery, as well as symptoms of abnormal blood sugar levels.
