Association of Serum Albumin-Bilirubin Score with Early Post-operative Complications Following Liver Resection

Introduction: The Serum Albumin-Bilirubin (ALBI) score has emerged as a valuable tool for assessing liver function and predicting postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing liver resection. This study aims to explore the association between the Al-Bi score and early postoperative complications in patients following liver resection. Methods: This Prospective observational study was conducted among the indoor patients of the Hepatobiliary unit of the surgery department in Dhaka Medical College Hospital, from 1st January 2023 to 29th December 2023. All patients admitted to the hepatobiliary unit of the department of surgery, Dhaka Medical College Hospital were considered as the study population. A total of 40 patients were selected as study subjects through a purposive sampling technique. Data were analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. Result: In the early postoperative period, higher Al-Bi scores were significantly associated with increased risks of bile leak and sepsis. Grade 3 patients had a 100% incidence of both bile leaks (P=0.004) and sepsis (P=0.025). In contrast, postoperative bleeding showed no significant association across all Al-Bi score groups. Only Grade 1 sepsis incidence was lower (P=0.030), while other grades showed no significant findings. Overall, higher Al-Bi scores correlated with more frequent bile leaks and sepsis, but not with bleeding. Conclusion: The study findings hold the significant clinical significance of measuring initial & post-operative Al-Bi scores with post-liver resection outcomes. Therefore, using initial & early post-operative Al-Bi score as a clinical parameter can help optimize post-operative patient care. Moreover, the association between post-operative Al-Bi score & subsequent organ dysfunction and morbidity may offer a good predictor to assess the impact of innovations in surgical techniques or peri-operative care.