Aprotinin reduces blood loss in patients undergoing elective liver resection

Ninety-seven patients undergoing elective liver resection through a subcostal incision were assigned to large-dose aprotinin treatment or placebo in a double-blind, prospective, randomized fashion. Randomization was stratified by diagnosis: (a) cancer in cirrhosis, (b) cancer in healthy liver, and (c) benign tumor in healthy liver. Intraoperative blood loss, percentage of transfused patients, and total transfusion requirement per group were significantly lower in the aprotinin group than in the placebo group (1217 +/- 966 mL vs 1653 +/- 1221 mL, P = 0.048; 17% vs 39%, P = 0.02; 30 vs 77 red blood cell packs, P = 0.015, respectively). Assessment of hematological markers (a) prior to surgery, (b) at the end of surgery, and (c) 24 h after surgery showed an identical intraoperative increase in thrombin-antithrombin III complexes in patients of both groups (P = 0.86), which indicates a similar activation of coagulation. Intraoperative hyperfibrinolysis was significantly less pronounced in the aprotinin group than in the placebo group (P = 0.0002 and P = 0.004 for D-dimers and fibrinogen, respectively). No adverse drug effects were detected (circulatory disturbances, deep venous thrombosis, increase in serum creatinine). These results suggest that aprotinin significantly reduces blood loss and transfusion requirement in patients undergoing elective liver resection through a subcostal incision.