Abstract
Reports on fulminant hepatic failure after open heart surgery are very few. We recently experienced a 38-year-old female with fulminant hepatic failure accompanying encephalopathy after open heart surgery, and possible etiology of this syndrome was discussed.
The patient having undergone open mitral commissurotomy for mitral stenosis died on the 27th postoperative day following the postoperative course of a fulminant type of liver failure. No other possible causes of hepatic dysfunction were identified except slight preoperative disturbance in liver function probably due to congestion.
We conclude that preoperative congestive heart failure may cause a fulmi nant type of liver dysfunction after open heart surgery.
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