The impact of intraoperative starch-based fluid therapy on postoperative kidney dysfunction in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery is uncertain. Low molecular weight starch is expected to cause less postoperative kidney dysfunction.

This retrospective study evaluated the impact of intraoperative 6% hydroxyethyl starch on postoperative renal dysfunction. The primary outcome of this study was postoperative acute kidney injury as per KDIGO definition within 72 hours of surgery.

This study analysed data from 461 patients with a median (interquartile range) age of 45 (33–58) years, and 48.2% of all patients were female. The proportion (95% confidence interval) of patients who developed acute kidney injury was 0.18 (0.14−0.21); 62.9% of patients had acute kidney injury stage I, 32% had acute kidney injury stage II, and the rest were acute kidney injury stage III. In the propensity score–matched sample, the average treatment effect of intraoperative colloid use on postoperative serum creatinine at day 3 (p = 0.32), duration of postoperative intensive care unit stay (p = 0.97), duration of hospital stay (p = 0.37), postoperative worst international normalised ratio (p = 0.92), and postoperative transfusion requirement (p = 0.40) were not statistically significant.

Intraoperative use of low molecular weight hydroxyethyl starch use was not associated with postoperative kidney dysfunction and coagulopathy in adult patients undergoing major open abdominal surgery.