Tranexamic acid for hemostasis in the surgical treatment of metastatic tumors of the spine.
METHODS
This is a retrospective study of sequential cohorts.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of tranexamic acid in decreasing operative blood loss and the need for intraoperative transfusion in metastatic spine surgery.


BACKGROUND
Significant published data have established the efficacy of antifibrinolytic drugs in limiting surgical bleeding during heart surgery and total joint replacement. One study in scoliosis suggested benefit in spine surgery as well.


METHODS
During a 6-month trial period, 14 patients with spine cancer undergoing palliative intralesional tumor excision and concomitant instrumentation to stabilize the spine in the hands of a single surgeon were administered tranexamic acid intraoperatively in the attempt to minimize operative blood loss. They were then compared to the immediately preceding 14 patients.


RESULTS
Estimated operative blood loss was 1385 mL in the study group treated with tranexamic acid and 1815 mL in controls not receiving the drug, and was not found to be significantly decreased in this study.


CONCLUSIONS
Control of operative bleeding in metastatic spine surgery can be problematical. Optimum protocol might include routine preoperative angiographic tumor embolization to decrease lesion vascularity in all cases, but angiography is not without risk. Noninvasive prophylaxis of tumor bleeding would have obvious desirable advantages but was, unfortunately, not achieved in this study.
Bednar
Drew A
DA
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. spinopod@alstream.net
Bednar
Vasiliki A
VA
Chaudhary
Ali
A
Farrokhyar
Forough
F
Farroukhyar
Forough
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006488:Hemostasis, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D014148:Tranexamic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D014148:Tranexamic Acid