High Transaminases following Cardiac Surgery: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Elevation of liver enzymes after cardiac surgery is encountered infrequently. Acute heart failure during and after surgery may be the culprit responsible for liver dysfunction. However, it may create clinical confusion whether acute liver dysfunction could induce some sort of cardiac dysfunction through mechanisms similar to those encountered in chronic liver disease. We searched through the Medline, Cochrane, and Embase databases up to January 2018. We included review articles, meta-analyses, and original trials on the elevation of liver enzymes after cardiac surgery, and combined the following MESH terms: Intensive care, cardiac surgery, high liver enzymes, ischemia, left ventricular dysfunction, and critical illness. Case reports were excluded. Language restrictions were not applied. References were examined for other potentially useful articles. We did not find any articles that supported the cardiac decompensation phenomenon after acute liver injury. In contrast, low-hepatic flow, hypoxemia, or pump-induced inflammation could induce hepatic dysfunction in acute settings after cardiac surgery. In conclusion, a rise in the transaminases following cardiac surgery would favor an ischemic etiology for the condition.