Impact of modified ultrafiltration on morbidity after pediatric cardiac surgery

Cardiopulmonary bypass is a double-edged sword. Without it, corrective cardiac surgery would not be possible in the majority of children with congenital heart disease. However, much of the perioperative morbidity that occurs after cardiac surgery can be attributed to a large extent to pathophysiologic processes engendered by extracorporeal circulation. One of the challenges that has confronted pediatric cardiac surgeons has been to minimize the consequences of cardiopulmonary bypass. Ultrafiltration is a strategy that has been used for many years in an effort to attenuate the effects of hemodilution that occur when small children undergo surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Over the past several years, a modified technique of ultrafiltration, commonly known as modified ultrafiltration, has been used with increasing enthusiasm. Multiple studies have been undertaken to assess the effects of modified ultrafiltration on organ function and postoperative morbidity following repair of congenital heart defects. This review attempts to evaluate current available scientific evidence on the impact of modified ultrafiltration on organ function and morbidity after pediatric cardiac surgery.