A 79-year-old man underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and ascending aorta prosthetic replacement for aneurysm at our Institution. His postoperative course was characterized by rapid onset of hypotension and anemia. Re-exploration found no surgical source of bleeding. A chest computed tomography showed a huge extrapleural hematoma caused by rib fractures. Percutaneous chest drainage was effective, and the patient recovered quickly. Follow-up computed tomography confirmed a good result.
Keywords: Aortic aneurysm; coronary artery bypass; hematoma; postoperative complications; rib fractures.