Two Doses of Tranexamic Acid Reduce Blood Loss in Primary Posterior Lumbar Fusion Surgery: A Randomized-controlled Trial

Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been widely used in hip and knee arthroplasty to reduce perioperative blood loss and blood transfusion, but the dosage and efficacy of TXA in posterior lumbar spinal surgery are not fully clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of TXA and to determine whether 2 doses of TXA could reduce the blood loss in primary single-segment or double-segment posterior lumbar fusion surgery.

A total of 150 patients with lumbar degenerative disease undergoing posterior lumbar interbody fusion surgery between October 2017 and February 2019 were randomized to 3 groups. Group A was treated with 0.9% normal saline solution without TXA, group B was treated with a 15 mg/kg loading dose intravenous infusion 30 minutes before surgery, and group C was treated with a 15 mg/kg loading dose intravenous infusion 30 minutes before surgery; then, the same dose was administered again 3 hours later. The assessed outcomes were the operation time, the total blood loss, the hidden blood loss, postoperative drainage, blood transfusions, incidence of venous thromboembolism, and incision infection.

The total blood loss, the hidden blood loss, and postoperative drainage were the lowest in group C. The amount of intraoperative blood loss was similar among the 3 groups. The hemoglobin and hematocrit values of the third postoperative day were the highest in group C. No significant differences in the incidence of complications and adverse events from TXA use were observed among the 3 groups. The use of TXA, the operation time, and the number of fusion segments were identified as risk factors related to total blood loss.

Two doses of TXA significantly reduced the total blood loss, the hidden blood loss and postoperative drainage, and decreased hemoglobin and hematocrit drop in patients undergoing posterior lumbar fusion without increasing the risk of complications.