Intravenous tranexamic acid vs. topical thrombin in total shoulder arthroplasty: a comparative study.

BACKGROUND

Blood loss and transfusions have been highlighted as a significant predictor of postoperative morbidity. Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been shown to decrease blood loss and transfusion in shoulder arthroplasty. However, the utility of topical thrombin in total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of topical thrombin in TSA and compare the effectiveness of topical thrombin to intravenous (IV) TXA.

METHODS

An institutional database was used to query shoulder arthroplasty patients from January 2017 to July 2019. Patients undergoing TSA were identified with CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) code (23742). After excluding reverse shoulder arthroplasty, arthroplasty for fracture or revision, the study groups were stratified based on intervention with IV TXA, topical thrombin, or neither. Patient demographics, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, baseline coagulopathy, preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin levels, operative time, transfusion, length of stay, and 90-day readmission for each treatment group was obtained.

RESULTS

A total of 283 TSA cases were included for final analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in the baseline characteristics with age, body mass index, or ASA class. The postoperative hemoglobin level (mg/dL) was higher in the group that received either IV TXA or thrombin compared with no hemostatic agents (P = .001). Calculated blood loss in TSA was significantly higher in the group without hemostatic agents, 369.8 mL (standard deviation [SD] 59.5), compared with IV TXA or topical thrombin, 344.3 mL (SD 67.1) and 342.9 mL (SD 65.6) (P = .03). Operative time was highest in the group that received no hemostatic agents, 2.3 hours (SD 0.6) (P = .01). The transfusion rate for TSA treated with IV TXA or topical thrombin was equivalent (2.2%) but significantly lower than the no intervention group (12%) (P = .01). The odds ratio for transfusion with IV TXA was 0.16 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.07-0.40, P = .001) and for topical thrombin, 0.1 (95% CI 0.02-0.42, P = .02).

CONCLUSION

Topical thrombin is an effective adjunct to reduce blood loss and transfusion risk after TSA and a reasonable intraoperative alternative for TXA for patients with contraindication to IV TXA.