Efficacy of gelatin–thrombin matrix sealants for blood loss in single-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion

Although gelatin–thrombin matrix sealants have been used successfully in other surgery types, their effect on reducing blood loss during single-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion is unclear. We thus examined the efficacy of gelatin–thrombin matrix sealants for reducing blood loss during such surgery. We analyzed 102 patients who underwent single-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for lumbar degenerative disease. We compared body mass index, surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative blood loss, true total blood loss, hidden blood loss, the proportion of blood transfusion, blood pressure pre- and post-surgery (systolic and diastolic), and pre-and post-surgery laboratory data (hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelets, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and D-dimer) between patients in whom gelatin–thrombin matrix sealants were (GTMS group) or were not (control group) used during surgery. One-week postoperative epidural hematoma size was measured using magnetic resonance imaging. The GTMS and control groups included 54 (24 males and 30 females) and 48 patients (19 males and 29 females). Intraoperative, true total, and hidden blood loss; epidural hematoma size; and hospitalization duration were significantly lower in the GTMS than in the control group. Intraoperative blood loss correlated with surgical time (R = 0.523, P = .001), body mass index (R = 0.221, P = .036), and the amount of gelatin–thrombin matrix sealant used (r = −0.313, P = .002). In multivariate linear regression analysis using intraoperative blood loss as the dependent variable, surgical time (standardization coefficient 0.516, P = .001) and amount of gelatin–thrombin matrix sealant used (standardization coefficient −0.220, P = .032) were independently related factors. In our study, the GTMS group had significantly less intraoperative true total and hidden blood loss than did the control group. Thus, use of gelatin–thrombin matrix sealants reduce perioperative blood loss in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion.