Kidney Damage Increases with Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center found that the incidence of acute kidney failure associated with coronary artery bypass surgery increased almost five-fold during the study period. The researchers estimate that approximately 20,000 cases of the kidney disorder occur nationwide each year.

How bypass surgery causes kidney damage is not exactly known but several possible causes have been suggested. Damage may be caused by alterations in blood flow that occur as a result of being placed on a heart-lung machine during surgery, or damage may occur when tiny bits of plaque break off of the walls of blood vessels, travel to the kidneys, and block its tiny blood vessels.

Drugs used during the coronary artery bypass surgery such as Trasylol also may also contribute to the phenomenon. (Duke)