Recent publications regarding perioperative renal dysfunction provide a 'potpourri' of topics worthy of discussion. The risk of perioperative renal dysfunction is higher in patients with heart failure, but other pre-existing conditions, such as genetic polymorphism, may have prognostic implications. Evaluation of renal risk and protective interventions are discussed for a number of specific operative entities, including cardiac surgery (with or without cardiopulmonary bypass), aortic surgery and renal revascularization. New publications on a wide variety of nephrotoxic insults are presented, including antifibrinolytic agents, obstructive jaundice, prostaglandin inhibitors, cyclosporine A, radiocontrast dyes and volatile anesthetic agents. Renal transplantation is discussed as a specific entity. Finally, we discuss recent papers describing outcome in patients in chronic renal failure undergoing cardiac surgery.