Topical Fibrin Sealant (Tisseel@) Does Not Provide a Synergic Blood-Conservation Effect with Tranexamic Acid in Total Knee Arthroplasty—A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

<i>Background and Objectives</i>: The efficacy of tranexamic acid (TXA) in reducing perioperative blood loss during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is well established. However, the potential synergistic blood-conservation effect of topical fibrin sealant (Tisseel@) remains unclear. This s...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chia-Hung Liu, Chih-Hsiang Chang, Yu-Han Chang, Hsin-Nung Shih, Chih-Chien Hu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-11-01
Series:Medicina
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/59/12/2078
Description
Summary:<i>Background and Objectives</i>: The efficacy of tranexamic acid (TXA) in reducing perioperative blood loss during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is well established. However, the potential synergistic blood-conservation effect of topical fibrin sealant (Tisseel@) remains unclear. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of the combination of Tisseel and TXA during TKA. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: A single-blinded, prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted with 100 patients (100 knees) undergoing primary TKA. Participants were randomly assigned to either the TXA group (n = 50), receiving intravenous (IV) TXA, or the Tisseel@ + TXA group (n = 50), receiving intra-articular Tisseel@ combined with IV TXA. The primary outcomes included blood transfusion rate, decrease in Hb level, calculated blood loss, and estimated total postoperative blood loss. Secondary outcomes involved assessing clinical differences between the groups. <i>Results</i>: The transfusion rate was zero in both groups. The average estimated blood loss in the Tisseel@ + TXA group was 0.463 ± 0.2422 L, which was similar to that of the TXA group at 0.455 ± 0.2522 L. The total calculated blood loss in the Tisseel@ + TXA group was 0.259 ± 0.1 L, compared with the TXA group’s 0.268 ± 0.108 L. The mean hemoglobin reduction in the first 24 h postoperatively was 1.57 ± 0.83 g/dL for the Tisseel@ + TXA group and 1.46 ± 0.82 g/dL for the TXA-only group. The reduction in blood loss in the topical Tisseel@ + TXA group was not significantly different from that achieved in the TXA-only group. The clinical results of TKA up to the 6-week follow-up were comparable between the groups. <i>Conclusions</i>: The combination of the topical fibrin sealant Tisseel@ and perioperative IV TXA administration, following the described protocol, demonstrated no significant synergistic blood-conservation effect in patients undergoing TKR.
ISSN:1010-660X
1648-9144