Role of Prealbumin as a Powerful and Simple Index for Predicting Postoperative Complications After Gastric Cancer Surgery

Background Preoperative factors, including nutritional status, may have strong correlations with postoperative morbidities. The current study evaluated preoperative prealbumin concentrations as a predictor of postoperative complications after gastric surgery. Methods A retrospective study of 1798 patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma was performed. Information was collected on basic patient characteristics, preoperative laboratory findings, and 30 day postoperative complications. The patients were divided into three groups based on prealbumin concentrations (≥22 mg/dL,