Bowel Oedema Necessitating Urgent Abdominal Decompression Following Cardiopulmonary Bypass: An Exaggerated Presentation of a Recognised Complication

Gastrointestinal complications after the termination of cardiopulmonary bypass are uncommon; however, they can lead to serious consequences. We encountered an unusual case of an 11-month-old infant who developed gross abdominal distention, leading to ventilatory and haemodynamic embarrassment following separation from the cardiopulmonary bypass. This presumably was a severe manifestation of the inflammatory response observed with extracorporeal circulation, which manifested as bowel oedema and was diagnosed using point-of-care ultrasound. As a rescue measure, urgent abdominal decompression was performed by cutting open the abdominal wall, which restored the ventilator and haemodynamic parameters to almost normal values.