The role of endoscopy in early postoperative haemorrhage

Diagnostic as well as therapeutic endoscopy has a decisive role in management of early postoperative haemorrhage. Endoscopy combines easy access to the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract and application of an array of interventional tools. In near future, even the small bowel will be accessible for diagnostic and therapeutic measures due to the advent of double-balloon enteroscopy. Thus, the endoscopist increasingly replaces the surgeon for diagnosis and therapy of postsurgical bleeding. Published data on frequency and aetiology of postoperative haemorrhage are scarce and mainly casuistic. Sources of gastrointestinal bleeding associated with surgery may be: anastomotic ulcers, mucosal ischaemia, ‘stress’ ulcers, reflux-induced lesions, coagulopathies (e.g. in sepsis or after organ transplantation) and aortoenteric fistula after bypass surgery. The endoscopist will frequently identify the culprit lesion and guide further management of the patient (e.g. endoscopic approach, repeated surgery, interventional radiology). All accessible lesions in postoperative haemorrhage should primarily be treated by endoscopic means, except aortoenteric fistulas. There is even a place for repeated endoscopy in recurrent bleeding. In the face of lacking controlled data, the endoscopist often has to rely on his personal experience in the selection of therapeutic options.