Ultrafiltration during open-heart surgery in chronic renal failure.

Ultrafiltration at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass is an important improvement in major cardiac surgery in patients with chronic renal failure and also in dialysis-dependent patients. It has many advantages over pre- and postoperative haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. The method, employing disposable equipment, is easy to use, does not prolong total pump time, as it is of short duration, and restores at the end of operation normovolaemia and haematocrit values.