title: Severe gastroparesis causing splenic rupture: a unique, early complication after heart-lung transplantation.
abstract: Several weeks or even months after heart-lung transplantation, gastroparesis-or delayed gastric emptying-commonly presents with cough, early satiety, and bloating. As it progresses, gastroparesis can cause substantial malnutrition and impair drug absorption. Gastroparesis after heart-lung transplantation can be attributed to bilateral vagus nerve injury, which probably occurs just above the level of the carina, where the recipient's trachea is resected. We report a highly unusual case wherein gastroparesis presented early after heart-lung transplantation and was managed conservatively. However, 19 days postoperatively, the patient developed acute abdominal pain and hypotension. Laparotomy revealed a massively dilated stomach and total avulsion of the splenic capsule with hemorrhage. The patient was fed via jejunostomy tubes until the gastroparesis resolved spontaneously. This case illustrates an important sequela of heart-lung transplantation. In order to decrease the morbidity from gastroparesis in these fragile patients, a drainage procedure should be considered as an adjunct to heart-lung transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplant and Assist Devices, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. bnaik@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Bindi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Naik-Mathuria
authors.forename: Fady
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jamous
authors.forename: George P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Noon
authors.forename: Mattias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loebe
authors.forename: Harish
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seethamraju
authors.forename: Remzi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bag
mesh_terms: D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000601:surgery; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D018589:Gastroparesis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016041:Heart-Lung Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011859:Radiography; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D013161:Splenic Rupture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*