Effect of Erythropoietin on the Incidence of Acute Kidney Injury Following Complex Valvular Heart Surgery

Inclusion Criteria: * preoperative risk factors for AKI and scheduled for complex valvular heart operations * Enrolled criteria for high risk of AKI were patients with more than 2 of bellows: female, serum creatinine \>1.2 mg/dl, preoperative A-fib, GFR \< 60 ml/min, NYHA class IV, HTN, DM, age \> 65 years, peripheral vascular disease. * Complex valvular heart operations were defined as double-valve surgery, combined valve and coronary artery bypass grafting procedures, Bentall operation, combined mitral valve surgery and tricuspid annuloplasty or reoperation. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with preexisting uncontrolled hypertension (diastolic blood pressure \> 100 mmHg), immunosuppression, history of thromboembolism, malignant disease, seizure, liver dysfunction, renal impairment (serum creatinine \> 2 mg/dL), and drug or alcohol abuse were excluded.