Impact of postoperative renal replacement therapy on long-term outcome after cardiac surgery increases with age

In the present study, we investigated the survival of patients who received postoperative renal replacement therapy (RRT) after cardiac surgery. We specifically focused on factors predicting long-term outcome in elderly patients.

Data of all patients that received unintentional renal replacement therapy following cardiac surgery between 2004 and 2010 were analyzed. Logistic- and Cox regression analyses were performed to detect the predictors of early and late mortality, respectively.

During the study period, 11,899 patients underwent cardiac surgery in our center. Post-operative RRT was performed in 138 patients (1.2%). In this group of patients, 30-day mortality included 72 patients (52%) and the total overall mortality included 107 patients (77.5%). Regression analyses revealed that age predicted 30-day mortality (odds ratio = 1.08 [1.03 to 1.12]) as well as late mortality (odds ratio = 1.05 [1.02 to 1.07].

Patients requiring RRT after cardiac surgery have a poor prognosis with a high mortality. Older age predicted both 30-day and late mortality in these patients.