Postoperative renal dysfunction is a predictor of significant morbidity and mortality among patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The mortality associated with coronary artery by-pass surgery increases from 2% to almost 19% in patients with renal failure and approaches 60% in patients who require hemodialysis. Patients with preoperative renal dysfunction referred for coronary artery by pass surgery have an extraordinarily high risk of requiring postoperative dialysis. For example, among those patients with preoperative creatinine >2.5 mg/dL, almost 50% require hemodialysis.