In particular, the patients, none of whom developed signs or symptoms of heart failure during the postoperative period, showed an early significant increase, on day 1, immediately after surgery, of the plasma concentrations of BNP which was followed on the postoperative day 2 by a significant weight gain correlated with large volumes of fluids accumulation, despite a negative intraoperative fluid balance and peroperative strict fluid restriction [11]. The gene discussed is NPPB; the disease is heart failure.