Hypoalbuminemia in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement: culprit or surrogate?

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an area of rapid advancement in cardiac surgery. Through subsequent randomized controlled trials, its indications have broadened and its use steadily increased (1,2). However, risk assessment for TAVR in the literature is somewhat limited, with groups still investigating proper vascular access and type of sedation for the procedure (3,4). The authors’ paper, “Effect of preoperative low serum albumin on postoperative complications and early mortality in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement” by Gassa et al., aims to analyze TAVR patients based on preoperative albumin levels as a predictor of operative outcomes.