my dad had a bypass surgery

[linda839]

my dad had a bypass surgery 1st april...in 10 th april he was about to be released the next day but at night his heart suddenly stopped and after an hour's cardiac message the heartbeat came back ....but he was in comma. at 12.00 next morning his sense came back.......now his condition is much improved all his function of brain seems okay but the DR s say that he is having arrhythmia,,,we dont know what is damaged inside ...no MRI was done because he is still very weak  ,,,
what damage can happen to his heart?
what should be done in such condition?

[ed34]

"cardiac arrest is not only untimely it doesn't make sense"

hmm, not from the documents I have been researching recently. Any patient can seem quite healthy and when the body is moved into a certain position, the air can suddenly move, sometimes to a point where catastrophic events occur. It can also be the case that several bubbles can suddenly accumulate in one place, causing blood to stop circulating.
Unless of course you believe the doctors reports to be false?

[kenkeith]

So the family should ask the surgeon who performed a bypass on April 1 if gas embolism can be the cause of the heart arrest?.  I'm attempting to point out and now by your own rhetoric acknowledge an immediate result from the mistake, accident, whaterver.  I know what you were talking about (surgery) , but I am providing information there is an immediate effect with an injection of gas, air, into the system as evidenced by suicides and homicides.  

Also, decompression symptoms are immediate and requires timely recompression.

In my opinion, if someone asks to see the surgeon who performed the bypass and then ask the surgeon if gas embolism is now involved in the cardiac arrest is not only untimely it doesn't make sense.

[ed34]

Not entirely. What I also stated was when an artery is opened, which can obviously be during surgery. There can be complications from bypass surgery because the coronary artery surgical site has to be kept bloodless, obviously so the surgeon can see what he is doing. As soon as the artery is opened, the blood is pooled all around the area the surgeon is trying to work in. Different techniques are used by different surgeons, and it seems that research has shown that using a shunt is probably the safest method because it gives blood direct flow past the surgical area, and prevents excess external gases entering the artery. Surgeons commonly use something called a blow mister, which uses CO2 and saline. These are used to wash the area of anastomosis and improve visability. What wasn't realised until research, is that the CO2 is very readily absorbed into the blood, creating bubbles. Due to the small amount of CO2 present, this obviously caused a surprise. Shielding the artery using a shunt does seem to reduce this risk considerabely.
The case I was reading concerned a bypass operation where cardiac arrest occurred. This was caused by a huge CO2 pocket of gas forming in the right ventricle and blood flow ceased. The patient did survive, the pocket was discovered very quickly and the gas was removed.
So as you see, I'm not talking about drug abuse with needles etc, I'm speaking from a bypass surgical procedure which the OP was asking about.

[kenkeith]

As I indicated you are talking about an intravenous "hot shot" the subject of suicide, homicide and an accident.

[ed34]

What I'm talking about is when the pressure difference in the opened artery and the atmosphere is such that air can be drawn in. I was only reading a case about it last night where a huge air pocket accumulated in the right side of the heart and was the cause for cardiac arrest. There are also cases where air has been drawn in through intravenous feeds.

[kenkeith]

Its not so rare if you are involved in deep sea diving.  There is decompression and the treatment is recompression immediately. The mechanism is overinflation of lungs causing entry of free gas into pulmonary vessels followed by embolization of cerebral vessels.

What do you think is the source of the free gas into the arterial system?.  There isn't anything stated in post that would indicate that.  My sure if the question was asked by the OP if there was air in the vessels the response would be why do you believe that?  Interesting but almost unheard of in the usual course of activities from my understanding.

I have read stories that say an injection of air into the veins can cause death, and individuals that inject dope in their veins can cause an air pocket or whatever!  Is that what you are talking about?

[ed34]

You could ask the surgeon if he thinks a gas embolism is involved. This is rare but not unheard of.

[kenkeith]

If there is quick treatment within hours to cardiac arrest, there can be complete recovery as the heart cells may just be stunned and revitalized with good supply of oxygenated blood.  Yes, blood flow to the brain is also an issue, and it is good news there has been no damage there as well.

What may be of some concern is what is the underlying cause for the cardiac arrest.  If it is arrhythmia pace maker that shocks the heart for any arrhythmia episodes can be beneficial.