Early outcome of cardiac surgery in dialysis-dependent end-stage renal failure patients

Preoperative dialysis-dependent renal failure is a strong independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality and morbidity after open heart surgery. This retrospective study analyses the early outcome in dialysis-dependent renal failure patients who underwent elective open-heart surgery in the Institut Jantung Negara (IJN).

We retrospectively analyse a series of 228 consecutive postoperative patients with dialysis-dependent (end stage renal failure (ESRF)) admitted to the adult cardiothoracic ICU in IJN between January 2012 and December 2016.

The overall early mortality rate included 34 patients (15.8%). Patients with ESRF underwent combined procedure recorded a very high mortality rate at 56.3%. Twenty-four patients (11.2%) needed resternotomy for postoperative bleeding or cardiac temponade. Postoperative mediastinitis rate was high, involving 13 patients (6%). The neurological and gastrointestinal complications rate were recorded at 2.3% (5 patients) and 6% (13 patients) respectively. In the group of patients (n=199) with sinus rhythm during the preoperative period, 100 patients (50.3%) developed postoperative AF. 77 patients (35.8%) stayed in hospital for more than 14 days.

dialysis-dependent patients undergoing cardiac surgery poses higher perioperative risk of mortality and morbidity of 3-4 times higher compared to those patients with normal renal function. IJN shows acceptable perioperative risk of mortality and morbidity which is comparable to other centres.