The effect of preoperative recombinant erythropoietin on postoperative hematocrit level after orthognathic surgery

To compare the postoperative red cell mass as indicated by the hematocrit value of orthognathic surgery patients given iron supplementation and a single preoperative dose of erythropoietin alpha (EPO) and patients who did not receive either EPO or iron supplementation.

Subjects who had a Le Fort I osteotomy (LFI) or a combination of LFI and bilateral sagittal split osteotomy between 2005 and 2008 and were aged at least 13 years were included. Subjects were excluded if they had a history of maxillofacial trauma, a craniofacial syndrome, or a major systemic medical condition. Subjects either had EPO administered with iron supplements before surgery (surgeon A protocol) or received neither (surgeon B protocol). Venous blood samples were taken, in accordance with clinic protocol, before surgery (before administration of EPO) and on postoperative day 1. Multiple linear regression with backward selection was used to analyze the change in hematocrit value. Explanatory variables included group, preoperative hematocrit level, age, gender, length of surgery, blood loss, and crystalloid (fluid replacement) volume.

The study included 178 eligible patients: 86 (48%) had a combination of LFI and bilateral sagittal split osteotomy and 92 (52%) had an isolated LFI. Of the patients, 114 (64%) had EPO/iron supplements administered before surgery whereas 64 did not. The mean change in hematocrit level as an indicator of the change in red cell mass was statistically significantly different (P = .01) for the subjects who received preoperative administration of EPO with iron supplementation compared with those who did not receive EPO plus iron. The administration of EPO plus iron was protective: the decrease in hematocrit level after surgery was smaller for subjects in the EPO group even after we controlled for age, gender, preoperative hematocrit level, length of surgery, blood loss, and crystalloid (fluid replacement) volume.

A single preoperative dose of erythropoietin with iron supplementation resulted in a smaller decrease, on average, in postoperative red cell mass as indicated by hematocrit value in patients with complicated orthognathic surgery procedures.