Postoperative hypoalbuminemia is associated with outcome in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

In a retrospective analysis of medical data using propensity score matching analysis, the authors investigated immediate postoperative hypoalbuminemia as a marker of outcome after OPCAP surgery. Immediate postoperative albumin concentration of 2.23 g/dL was independently associated with respiratory failure, wound infection, the need for an intra-aortic balloon pump after the operation, renal failure and reoperation for bleeding as well as lower complication-free survival. However, the role of albumin administration in order to possibly overcome this problem still remains unclear.

– Hans Gombotz