Postoperative TXA Infusion in Treatment of Craniosynostosis With Suturectomy: To Continue or Not to Continue?

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is widely used in craniosynostosis surgery to reduce blood loss. Although the efficacy of TXA administration has been documented in the literature, dosing in the perioperative setting is variable and without a standard protocol. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of continuing TXA postoperatively for patients undergoing suturectomy for metopic or unicoronal synostosis.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study evaluating the use of postoperative TXA infusion in patients undergoing suturectomy for metopic and unicoronal craniosynostosis. All patients received a TXA bolus of 10 mg/kg at the time of surgical prep, followed by a TXA infusion at 5 mg/kg/hour during the procedure. Patients undergoing suturectomy for metopic or unicoronal synostosis in 2020 to 2021 received postoperative TXA infusion at 5 mg/kg/hour for the first 4 hours after surgery. Following a protocol change in anemia management at the institution in 2022, patients undergoing this surgery in 2022 did not receive a postoperative TXA infusion. Chart review was performed, and mean hemoglobin values were compared between patients who received postoperative TXA and those who did not, with analyses stratified by suture involvement to determine the impact of the protocol change.

Twenty-eight patients met the inclusion criteria: 14 patients received postoperative TXA, and 14 patients did not. Both groups included 8 patients undergoing metopic suturectomy and 6 patients undergoing unicoronal suturectomy. For patients who underwent metopic suturectomy and received postoperative TXA, the mean preoperative hemoglobin was 11.4 g/dL, and on postoperative day 1 (POD1) was 8.1 g/dL. For patients who underwent metopic suturectomy and did not receive postoperative TXA, the mean preoperative hemoglobin was 11 g/dL and on POD1 was 9.2 g/dL (P=0.27). The differences in mean preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin were not statistically significant between the 2 cohorts, P=0.15 and P=0.20, respectively. For patients who underwent unicoronal suturectomy and received postoperative TXA, the mean preoperative hemoglobin was 12 g/dL, and on POD1 was 8.7 g/dL. For patients who underwent unicoronal suturectomy and did not receive postoperative TXA, the mean preoperative hemoglobin was 11.4 g/dL and on POD1 was 9.1 g/dL (P=0.36). The mean preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin were not statistically different between the 2 cohorts, P=0.42 and P=0.92, respectively. Hospital length of stay averaged 1 day across both cohorts. No patient received a postoperative blood transfusion.

In patients undergoing suturectomy for metopic or unicoronal craniosynostosis, postoperative TXA infusion made no significant difference in postoperative hemoglobin levels, length of stay, or postoperative transfusion. Discontinuing postoperative TXA could potentially decrease monitoring needs and lower hospital costs.