Guillain-Barré syndrome after coronary artery bypass surgery

Abstract

A case of the Guillain-Barré syndrome occurring after otherwise uneventful cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass is presented. Though the Guillain-Barré syndrome has been reported after surgical procedures, there are very few case reports after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery in the literature. The exact pathophysiological cause of the syndrome is still unknown. However, the most widely accepted hypothesis is that the syndrome is the result of an immune-mediated process. Cardiac surgery may be a trigger for immune-mediated response. © 2012 The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.