Impact of Preoperative Chemotherapy on Postoperative Renal Dysfunction After Major Abdominal Surgery: A Prospective Observational Study

Introduction The administration of anti-cancer drugs and major abdominal surgeries have been independently identified to have a negative effect on renal function. The objectives of the study are to determine the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing major elective abdominal surgery following chemotherapy and identify the independent predictors of postoperative AKI among such cancer patients in a tertiary care cancer institute in North India. Methods The prospective observational study included 149 patients aged 18 years or more, scheduled for elective major abdominal cancer surgery. Based on the administration of preoperative chemotherapy, the participants were divided into two study cohorts (Group 1: received preoperative chemotherapy; Group 2: did not receive preoperative chemotherapy). Patients' preoperative characteristics, including the use of preoperative chemotherapeutic agents and intraoperative factors, were evaluated for associations with the development of AKI postoperatively using the Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test. Multivariable logistic regression was employed to identify the factors after adjusting for potential confounders. Results The overall incidence of postoperative AKI in major abdominal oncosurgery was 24.2% among our study participants, which was significantly higher among patients receiving preoperative chemotherapy (32.4%) as compared to those who did not receive preoperative chemotherapy (16%) (p=0.019). Besides preoperative chemotherapy, the present study also noted that high levels of preoperative urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) and intraoperative use of vasopressors were significantly associated with an increased risk of postoperative AKI development in the final model, after adjustment for all potential confounders. A preoperative UPCR >= 0.345 predicted the development of postoperative AKI with 77.8% sensitivity and 83.2% specificity. Conclusion Considering the magnitude of the problem, identification of determinants of postoperative AKI in major abdominal surgeries in cancer patients may help anesthetists and surgeons in early detection of AKI, so that prompt precautionary measures can be put in place that can potentially impact prognosis.