Introduction Ventilator–associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most common and serious nosocomial infection that threatens patients who have undergone cardiac surgery. VAP in the cardiac intensive care unit  increases mechanical ventilation hours, which subsequently increases the length of stay in the intensive care unit. Studies have shown a significant increase in morbidity and mortality in patients with VAP.    Material & methods:  This study was performed on randomly selected 100 patients, kept on ventilatory support for more than 48 hrs over a period of six months in postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary cardiac care centre. We investigated the incidence of VAP in adults after cardiac surgery and its impact on morbidity and mortality.   Conclusion :     The incidence of ventilator–associated pneumonia is high. Patients undergoing cardiac surgery are at high risk and need special attention towards prevention.VAP leads to increased mortality in ICU patients after cardiac surgery, with late–onset VAP associated with poor prognosis as compared to the early–onset variety. Targeted strategies aimed at preventing VAP should be implemented to improve patient outcome and reduce length of intensive care unit stay.