Preoperative serum albumin level is associated with postoperative short- and long-term renal function deterioration in patients who underwent radical cystectomy for bladder cancer.

PURPOSE: Radical cystectomy (RC), which is the standard of care for muscle-invasive and high-grade noninvasive bladder cancer, is accompanied by postoperative renal function deterioration. We aimed to evaluate the effect of serum albumin level on postoperative renal function decline after RC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 272 patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥60 mL/minute/1.73 m² who underwent RC between October 2003 and December 2020 were included. Acute kidney injury (AKI) was defined according to the KDIGO (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes) criteria, while postoperative chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression was defined as an eGFR <60 mL/minute/1.73 m² at ≥3 months after RC. RESULTS: In our cohort, 20 (7.4%) and 99 (36.4%) patients experienced postoperative AKI and CKD progression, respectively, with a median follow-up period of 51.5 months. The median preoperative serum albumin level and eGFR were 4.1 g/dL and 82.0 mL/minute/1.73 m², respectively. Preoperative serum albumin less than the median (4.1 g/dL) was associated with postoperative AKI (odds ratio [OR] 3.76, p=0.027) and CKD progression (OR 2.87, p<0.001) after adjusting for other factors. CONCLUSIONS: Serum albumin level <4.1 g/dL was associated with short- and long-term renal function decline after RC, suggesting that close monitoring of renal function after RC might be considered in these patients.