Peritoneal dialysis in children with acute renal failure after open heart surgery.

Acute renal failure is a frequently reported complication after open heart surgery in children and carries a high mortality. Conservative treatment often makes post-operative care difficult and ambiguous. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) or hemofiltration is another therapeutic choice. Hemofiltration has some limitations in pediatric patients. Many aspects of PD are currently under discussion. We retrospectively reviewed 184 children who underwent open heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Four patients fulfilled the criteria of acute renal failure. PD was performed after conservative treatment failed. All patients successfully survived through the post-operative period. No electrolyte imbalance, fluid overload or acute hemodynamic changes was observed after the initiation of PD. In our limited experience, PD is a safe and effective method for managing patients with acute renal failure after open heart surgery.