Early post-operative acute kidney injury after cardiac transplantation: Incidence and predictive factors

Background Heart transplantation, as a therapeutic option for patients with advanced heart failure, possesses a high rate of morbidity and mortality. One of the complications associated with this procedure is the development of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) Material and methods We aimed to evaluate the incidence of early postoperative AKI and the need for continuous renal replacement therapy (RRT) after heart transplantation. Data of 126 patients who underwent heart transplantation from January 2015 to November 2019 were collected. Statistical analysis was performed to identify the predictors of postoperative AKI. Results Out of 126 patients, 74 (58.7 %) developed AKI and 13 (10%) required RRT after transplant. Independent predictors of AKI are shown to be factors associated with surgical procedures such as graft ischemic time as were previous cardiac operation, administered Voluven (starch) dose > 400 ml, and transfusion of more than four blood units. Conclusion Our findings suggest that modifiable factors exist that can affect the risk of developing AKI following heart transplantation.