Abstract Background and Aims Kidney surgery represents the treatment of choice for localized renal cell carcinomas (RCC). Postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) is reported in 40% of the patients undergoing partial nephrectomy [1]. A nephron-sparing approach is not always feasible for anatomical as well as oncological reasons and total nephrectomy is associated with an even higher risk of both acute and chronic impairment of renal function. Recently, interest has risen in the development of prediction models able to preoperatively identify patients at higher risk of AKI and chronic kidney disease (CKD) development after kidney surgery, but the role of hypertension in this field is yet underexplored. The aim of the present study was therefore to assess the impact of hypertension and blood pressure control on kidney outcomes after surgery for RCC. Method We prospectively enrolled 45 patients with an estimated glomerular-filtration-rate (eGFR) > 45 ml/min per 1.73 m2 who underwent kidney surgery for RCC at our institution between May 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023. Clinical characteristics of the study cohort are reported in Table 1. In-hospital AKI was defined as an increase of serum creatinine > 0.3 mg/dl from baseline and CKD development (defined as eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2) was evaluated at 3 months. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (24h-ABPM) was assessed at baseline. Comparisons between groups were made by analysis of variance. Comparisons of proportions among groups were made using the χ2 test. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to describe the relationship between clinical variables and the presence of in-hospital AKI. Results Among the 45 patients enrolled, 42% (n = 19) developed postoperative AKI, of whom 32% (n = 6) had a complete kidney function recovery, whereas 68% (n = 13) developed CKD. Of the 39 patients with a basal ABPM evaluation, 87% (n = 34) had a diagnosis of hypertension. For 35% (n = 12) of these patients a first diagnosis of hypertension was made. AKI patients had higher median SBP (143 ± 9 vs 133 ± 12 mmHg, p = 0.008) and SBP variability (24 ± 4 vs 20 ± 5 mmHg, p = 0.01) compared with non-AKI patients. Preoperative 24h-SBP >130 mmHg was independently associated with in-hospital AKI (p = 0.05), regardless of age, gender, hypertension, diabetes and antihypertensive treatment. Considering the 3-month eGFR, we observed that compared with non-AKI patients, baseline 24h-SBP was higher, as a trend, in AKI patients who did not develop CKD or in those developing CKD on previous normal kidney function (de novo CKD), while no difference in 24h-SBP was observed between AKI and non-AKI patients in the subgroup of patients with preoperative CKD (CKD on CKD) (Fig. 1). Conclusion Preoperative hypertension, a potentially modifiable risk factor, is associated with an increased risk of AKI after kidney surgery. Moreover, an early identification of hypertension is of utmost importance taking into account that a strict blood pressure control, regardless of renal function at baseline, may be crucial to counteract the development or the progression of CKD.
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