This literature review is devoted to one of the topical multidisciplinary problems of modern clinical practice the development of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery. The prevalence of this pathology varies on average from 5 to 43 %, while the frequency of early hospital mortality increases significantly in the population of such patients compared with patients without cardiac surgery-associated renal damage. It is assumed that the work of the artificial circulatory system contributes to the development of such complications, but as shown by many studies, the etiology of such kidney damage is multifactorial and cannot be explained by only one pathogenetic mechanism. The article highlights the current understanding of the etiology, pathogenesis and risk factors of acute kidney injury after cardiovascular interventions, describes new markers of early detection of renal dysfunction, and describes some prognostic aspects of the disease. Early identification and stratification of risk groups will allow for a timely preventive strategy, which will significantly improve early and long-term postoperative outcomes in such patients.