Tranexamic acid effects in postoperative bleeding outcomes in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a controlled study

PURPOSE: To demonstrate through a controlled study whether the use of tranexamic acid in bariatric surgeries is effective for bleeding control. METHODS: Prospective, comparative, and double-blind study performed with patients from 18 to 65 years old submitted to bariatric surgery. The selected patients received venous tranexamic acid (TXA) during the induction of anesthesia or not (CG). The anesthesia and thromboprophylaxis protocols were similar among the groups. For statistical analysis, the χ(2) and analysis of variance tests were performed at a significance level of p < 0.05, using the statistical program SPSS 21.0(®). RESULTS: Sixty-one patients were included in the study, 31 in the control group and 30 in the TXA group (GTXA). In the intraoperative period, the bleeding volume was greater in the CG than in the GTXA. In the postoperative period, the tranexamic acid group had a higher value hematocrit, absence of surgical reoperations due to bleeding complications, and shorter hospitalization time than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The use of tranexamic acid was effective in reducing bleeding rates and of hospital stay length, in addition to demonstrating the clinical safety of its use, for not having been associated with any thromboembolic events.