Gastric bleeding detected by transesophageal echocardiography during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Gastric bleeding during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is a rare but life-threatening complication for patients undergoing cardiac surgery. We present a case of a patient undergoing coronary bypass grafting in whom we detected gastric bleeding by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) during CPB. After separation from CPB, bleeding was stopped by endoscopic clipping of the mucosa. If a fluid deficit is noted and TEE reveals a hypoechoic space within the stomach, gastric bleeding might be suggested.