Stress gastric ulcer after cardiac surgery: Pathogenesis risk factors and medical management

Stress ulcer lesions of upper gastrointestinal tract are well recognized in patients undergoing open cardiac surgery. Gastrointestinal bleeding following cardiac surgery is infrequent with significant morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of mucosal lesions and subsequent haemorrhage is complex and multifactorial. The diagnosis as well as the treatment of this complication remains a challenge for surgeons. Identifying the source of bleeding can be difficult. Despite of the successful control of haemorrhage using various combinations of endoscopic and pharmacological therapies, the mortality rate remains unchanged. Benefit of routine stress ulcer prophylaxis remains controversial.