Gastro-right ventricular fistula: a deadly complication of a gastric pull-through.

Rana, Zeshan A; Hosmane, Vinay R; Rana, Nabeel R; Emery, Donald L; Goldenberg, Edward M; Gardner, Timothy J · Ann Thorac Surg · 2010

case_report · Level V

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Abstract

A 70-year-old patient presented with melena, dyspnea, and generalized weakness. An endoscopy revealed a deep ulcer with a pulsatile clot in the intrathoracic gastric tube that had been previously constructed for esophageal replacement. Shortly thereafter, the patient died of exsanguination secondary to a fistula between the stomach and the right ventricle. This complication presents a unique but deadly cause of gastrointestinal bleeding that mandates swift diagnosis and immediate surgical correction.

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