TABLE I.
Significant and Unexpected Immediate Postoperative Findingsa
| Patients | Percent | Imaging Follow-Up | Treatment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||
| Incidental noncardiac findings | ||||
| Pulmonary nodule | 9 | 3.5 | Four patients (follow-up chest CT) | One patient (lung carcinoma) |
| Pneumonia | 6 | 2.3 | Three patients (antibiotics) | |
| Large mucous plug | 6 | 2.3 | One bronchoscopy | |
| Pulmonary embolism | 5 | 1.9 | Three patients (anticoagulation) | |
| Aortic ulcer or aneurysm | 3 | 1.2 | Three patients (follow-up chest CT) | |
| Adrenal mass | 2 | 0.8 | Two patients (follow-up abdominal CT) | |
| Moderate pleural effusion | 2 | 0.8 | One patient (follow-up chest CT) | |
| Sternal dehiscence | 1 | 0.4 | Reoperation | |
| Mediastinitis | 1 | 0.4 | One patient (follow-up chest CT) | |
| Sarcoidosis | 1 | 0.4 | ||
| Pulmonary hypertension | 1 | 0.4 | ||
| Moderate-sized pneumothorax | 1 | 0.4 | ||
|
| ||||
| Incidental cardiac findings | ||||
| Moderate-to-large pericardial effusion | 8 | 3.1 | One patient (pericardial drain); one patient (reoperation); one patient (hospital readmission) | |
| Large mediastinal hematoma | 6 | 2.3 | One patient (follow-up chest CT) | One patient (reoperation); two patients (blood transfusion) |
| Left ventricular thrombus | 4 | 1.5 | One patient (anticoagulation) | |
| Left ventricular perfusion deficit | 3 | 1.2 | ||
| Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm | 2 | 0.8 | One patient (reoperation) | |
| Left atrial thrombus | 2 | 0.8 | One patient (anticoagulation) | |
| Right ventricular compression, pectus excavatum | 1 | 0.4 | ||
| Native coronary artery aneurysm | 1 | 0.4 | ||
| Apical left ventricular aneurysm | 1 | 0.4 | ||
a
Average postoperative time, 5.2 days.