Vasoplegia during cardiac surgery: current concepts and management

Abstract

Vasoplegic syndrome (VS) is a recognized and relatively common complication of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), appearing with an incidence ranging between 5% and 25%. It is characterized by significant hypotension, high or normal cardiac outputs and low systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and increased requirements for fluids and vasopressors during or after CPB. Patients developing VS are at increased risk for death and other major complications following cardiac surgery. This review will focus on the pathophysiology and contemporary strategies of treating VS encountered after CPB.