ASO Author Reflections: Prognostic Nutritional Index—A Simple Evaluation that May Help Reduce the Risk of Postoperative Pulmonary Complications in Radical Cystectomy

Excerpt

Radical cystectomy is a complex urologic procedure for muscle-invasive bladder cancer and is associated with high risks of postoperative morbidity and mortality.1 Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), which are associated with poor postoperative outcomes,2 commonly occur after radical cystectomy. Therefore, patients who have undergone radical cystectomy should be given special attention to minimize the risk of PPCs. As malnutrition is associated with poor oncological survival and postoperative outcomes,3 evaluation of preoperative nutritional status is important in cancer patients. The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which is calculated with serum albumin concentration and total lymphocyte count, can predict postoperative complications and outcomes.4 However, no studies have investigated the associations between PNI and PPCs in bladder cancer patients undergoing radical cystectomy. As such, it is unknown whether preoperative PNI needs to be routinely evaluated to reduce PPCs in radical cystectomy patients. …