EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS AND RELIABILITY OF LOW-DOSE TRANEXAMIC ACID USED IN ADOLESCENT IDIOPATHIC SCOLIOSIS SURGERY.

Objective: Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an antifibrinolytic drug that is frequently used in pediatric spinal fusion surgery to prevent bleeding. In recent publications, TXA was used in very high doses, but there is no consensus about the dosage of TXA in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgeries. Our aim was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of a low-dose regimen on perioperative bleeding in AIS surgery. Materials and Methods: A total of 25 patients diagnosed as having AIS were reviewed retrospectively. We retrieved demographic and intraoperative data, and bleeding related outcomes of the patients from their medical records. The primary outcomes were estimated blood loss and the transfusion requirements. Results: Twenty-two (88%) of the patients were women. The mean age was 13.72 years. The mean number of vertebrae fused was 11.79. Estimated blood loss was 616 mL, and intraoperative mean red blood cell unit transfusion was determined as 0.8 units. No adverse event was observed related to TXA usage. Conclusion: The use of low-dose TXA is a reliable and efficient method to reduce bleeding in AIS surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]