Red blood cell distribution width-to-albumin ratio and postoperative pleural effusion risk after gastrectomy for esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma: a retrospective study

An elevated RAR is independently associated with an increased risk of PPE, suggesting its potential utility as a pragmatic, clinically feasible supplementary index for patients with Siewert type II/III AEG prior to undergoing gastrectomy. However, due to the study's single-center, retrospective design and absence of external validation, further research with external cohorts is needed before RAR can be considered for widespread clinical implementation.