Potential Role in Postoperative Respiratory Complications

Background: We observed an unexpectedly high inci¬ dence of postoperative gastroparesis among lung and heart-lung transplant recipients. Purpose: To identify the incidence ofGI complications and to describe the clinical profiles of patients who developed symptomatic gastroparesis after lung trans¬ plantation. Patients and methods: Retrospective study ofGI symp¬ toms and complications identified during 3 years of follow-up of 38 adult lung and heart-lung transplant recipients. Results: Sixteen of 38 patients (42%) reported one or more GI complaint and received a specific GI diagno¬ sis. Nine of 38 patients (24%) complained of early sa¬ tiety, epigastric fullness, anorexia, nausea, orvomiting. Gastroparesis was suspected when endoscopic evalu¬ ation revealed undigested food in the stomach after overnight fast and symptoms could not be attributed to peptic disease or cytomegalovirus gastritis. Delayed gastric emptying was confirmed by gastric scintigra¬ phy. Mean gastric emptying (tM) was 263±115 min (normal <95 min). Gastroparesis occurred in 4 of 13