Help! New problems with my grandpas Bypass-blood from stomach?!

[grand daughter]

yesterday was exhausing- his blood pressure wouldnt hold and they gave him blood and then he had some sort of reaction to it...
he was very loopy and totally weak..he finally stabalized and got a little more normal around 8 last night..but then i got a call at 230 in the morning stating that his blood pressure was way down to 65 and things were bad...he had to be put back on the tube for his breathing...they actually thought he wasnt gonna make it...But then he seemes to now be stabalized but hes all full of fluids which is hard on his kidneys etc..they are giving him more blood cause he keeps needing it and they also suctioned up a bunch of blood from his stomach.  They keep getting lots of blood from his stomach!  He is also severly constipated.  This is really serious.  Does anyone have experience with this??  The frustrating part is that as far as his heart surgery recovery it seemed to be on target..they removed his chest tube yesterday and everything!  I think part of the prob is his adrenal insufficiency and they are spose to be giving him massive doses of steroids because his adrenals dont work but they tapered him off real sharply the last two days which is when he started going downhill and not even able to walk.  In fact yesterday they only gave him his regular small dose that I give him everyday at home!!  I cant believe it.  any thoughts?

[grand daughter]

they now say he requires surgery! to remove this absess and that will leave him with a coloscopy bag!!  I cant believe this!  They dont know if he will make it thru another surgery but if he doesnt have it then this thing could explode in there and he could die or somethng.  Right now he still has the venitlator breathing tube out but his tongue is still swollen and he cant really talk and also he has stuff in his lungs that he cant cough up cause hes too weak and also cause the area from heart surgery hurts.  They also said he will be even more sore after this next surgery and that he really wont want to cough then!  They say he needs to cough but he cant and if they lay him flat he doesnt oxygenate very well....i cant believe this is happening to my grandpa...a very active slim fit man who was walking laps with me in the pool just 5 weeks ago.

[grand daughter]

Well the scope showed some small ulcers but they didnt think that was enough to justify the blood loss and his need for blood.  Earlier yesterday they put in some chest tubes to try and drain some fluid they thought he had around his lungs and heart...well it turned out to be blood..but they thought it may be older stuff and they thought that he was not currently bleeding...he didnt need anymore blood.  After they drained that fluid he was able to breath better altho he was still on the breathing ventilator machine..
But today they were able to remove the breathing tube!!  So that is awesome..its only been out for about an hour but hopefully he can stay off of it.  He has had some more drainage from his chest tubes today and they had to give him 2 packs of blood today! *sigh*  How long can this go on? it seems like every other day they give him blood!  Also he is still constipated and they keep giving enemas and scans...now i guess they think it could be an absess so they are gonna start giving some antibiotics.  Its just one thing after they other...we havnt even got to start on the recovery from the heart surgery..sigh..anyone have any thoughts on this?  Is it normal to have drainage from chest tubes a week after surgery? and the need for blood? Thanks

[Pepperliveson]

It sounds like his clotting ability is messed up if he keeps having GI bleeds.  Have his doctors gotten a Hematology consult?  My father had this complication after valve replacement.

[Papethova]

Any updates?  Hope all is well.  Please email me at ***@****, i dont always check in here

[grand daughter]

i believe he only had one chest tube.  He is still in ICU and sedated and on the ventilator. He received 3 packs of blood today.  His blood pressure is holding steady.  They continue to get blood from his stomach but they think it is "old" blood...they havnt found any bright red stuff yet.  They did a scope today and really only found some ulcers that they are gonna treat with meds...they think maybe it was stress ulcers..BUT they arent convinced that that would be enought to make his hemoglobin drop so much that he keeps needing these transfusions.  So they are trying to determine why his hemoglobin keeps getting so low and why he has that blood in his stomach...???  Anyone have thoughts on this.  Its so discouraging because my grandpa is 84 and the surgery was "textbook" according to his surgeon.  That night they removed the ventilator tube and he was perky and in a pretty good mood.  The next day they moved him out of ICU and said he was doing better than most of the 40 years old they had there!  Then the next day he did his 3 walks but that night he was pale and wiped out..the next day was horrible and then last night he was in ICU on his death bed.  I just dont get it!???

[Papethova]

Did he only have one chest tube?

The constipation is worsened by the pain medications.  They can give him something for it, Im guessing they already are.

Was this an off pump CABG?