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. 2018 Dec 3:5:36.
doi: 10.1186/s40608-018-0213-5. eCollection 2018.

Tranexamic acid therapy for postoperative bleeding after bariatric surgery

R A Klaassen  1 , C A Selles  1 , J W van den Berg  1 , M M Poelman  2 , E van der Harst  1
Affiliations

Tranexamic acid therapy for postoperative bleeding after bariatric surgery

R A Klaassen et al. BMC Obes. .

Abstract

Background: Tranexamic acid reduces blood loss associated with various surgical procedures. Postoperative bleeding caused by dissection or bleeding of the enteric staple lines is a well-known complication following bariatric surgery. Reoperation in order to restore hemostasis is frequently necessary (up to 2.5% in literature). The effect of conservative therapy using tranexamic acid for postoperative hemorrhage after bariatric surgery is still very much a novel technique. The aim is to present our results (reoperation rate and thrombo-embolic complication rate) of tranexamic acid therapy for postoperative bleeding after bariatric surgery in comparison to those in existing literature.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 1388 patients who underwent bariatric surgery (laparoscopic gastric bypass or laparoscopic gastric sleeve). Use of tranexamic acid, reoperation rate, transfusion rate and rate of thrombo-embolic complications were reviewed.

Results: Forty-five of 1388 (3.2%) total patients experienced significant hemorrhage after bariatric surgery. Tranexamic acid was administered in 44 of these patients. A failure of the treatment with tranexamic acid was observed in four patients. The incidence of reoperation was 0.4% for the entire population. No thrombo-embolic complications were registered for patients receiving tranexamic acid.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that the administration of tranexamic acid appears to be safe in reducing the reoperation rate for bleeding after bariatric surgery.

Keywords: Complications; Gastric bypass; Hemorrhage; Tranexamic acid.

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Conflict of interest statement

Collection of data was performed with the approval of the Institutional Review Board: “Toetsingscommissie Onderzoek Rotterdam, (TWOR)”.Not applicableThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Proposed treatment algorithm
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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