Abnormal gastrointestinal findings in patients with coronary disease revealed by endoscopy before cardiac surgery

Šarūnas Kinduris^{1, 3}, Kęstutis Adamonis², Tautvydas Vaišvila³, Jurgita Petronytė³

¹Institute for Biomedical Research, Kaunas University of Medicine, ²Clinic of Gastroenterology, ³Clinic of Cardiosurgery, Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital, Lithuania

Key words: coronary disease, abnormal gastrointestinal findings, morbidity, risk factors

Summary. Objectives. To assess incidence of different abnormal gastrointestinal changes revealed by endoscopy before cardiac surgery in different female and male age groups and to establish criteria for carrying out preventive endoscopy in patients with coronary disease.

Material and methods. Retrospective analysis was performed on 3847 patients (63.2% and 36.8% of male and female patients, respectively; mean age 61.9±11.9) who underwent fiberoptic esophagogastroduodenoscopy (FEGDS) before cardiac surgery under extracorporeal circulation at Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital in 2000–2003. Study population was divided into two groups: group I consisted of 2348 (61%) patients whose endoscopy revealed active bleeding from mucous membranes of gastrointestinal tract (bleeding gastric or duodenal ulcer) or any other abnormal findings indicating bleeding potential (gastric and duodenal erosion or ulcer); group II comprised 1499 (39%) patients whose endoscopy revealed no abnormal changes or the revealed ones (scars, hiatal hernia, etc.) that cannot cause bleeding.

Results. No statistically significant differences were established in male and female percentage both generally and individually in groups (63.2% and 36.8% in all population studied; 61% and 39%, 64.6% and 35.4% in group I and group II, respectively). Further data analysis showed that FEGDS revealed changes requiring pre-surgical treatment in even 62.4% of male patients; meanwhile the similar changes were diagnosed in 58.7% of female patients.

Incidence analysis of abnormal changes in terms of patient age established that even 31.1% of the group I population were patients aged 61–70, and 26.5% – patients aged 51–60. It should also be noted that these age groups were represented in the most ample manner in all population studied – 31.7% (1209 patients) and 26.5% (1012 patients), respectively.

The highest incidence of bleeding potential changes in male patients was found in the 51–60 year-old group (30.7% (462 patients)) and 61–70 year-old group (29% (436 patients)); in female patients, the highest incidence was observed in the 61–70 year-old group (35.2% (290 patients)) and 71–80 year-old group (25.6% (211 patients) (p<0.05). Data analysis showed that just 20.1% and 10.9% of male and female patients respectively were diagnosed with the changes mentioned in the age groups of up to 50 year-old.

The study established that only 14.5% of FEGDS carried out revealed no abnormal changes in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Conclusion. Abnormal gastrointestinal changes indicating bleeding potential were established with significantly higher incidence in male compared with female patients. Gastrointestinal endoscopy before cardiac surgery under extracorporeal circulation should be carried out in 50–70 year-old male patients and 60–80 year-old female patients, while carrying out of the same examination in the younger and older patients is subject to additional indications. Only 14.5% of fiberoptic esophagogastroduodenoscopies carried out revealed no abnormal changes in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Correspondence to Š. Kinduris, Clinic of Cardiosurgery, Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital, Eivenių 2, 50009 Kaunas, Lithuania. E-mail: kinsar@one.lt

Received 10 February 2005, accepted 29 May 2005