The effects of tranexamic acid on blood loss in orthognathic surgery

Abstract

The surgical correction of dentofacial deformities causes considerable blood loss which complicates the surgical result. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of tranexamic acid on the reduction of blood loss in patients underwent bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomies. The prospective, randomized, controlled trial in patients underwent bilateral saggital split ramus osteotomies to correct the dentofacial deformities at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentisty, Chulalongkorn University carried out from February 2006 to October 2006. A total of 19 patients in this study were divided in 2 groups, 10 patients treated with 10 mg/kg TXA and the others as control. Standard bilateral saggital split ramus osteotomies procedures were performed in all patients. The study demonstrated the intraoperative blood loss reduceed by 36.92% in the experiment group, but the change was not statistically significant (Sig.>0.05). The postoperative blood loss, total blood loss, hemoglobin level at the 1st and 3rd postoperative day, the difference of hemoglobin level at preoperative and the 1st postoperative day and the difference of hemoglobin level at preoperative and the 3rd postoperative day in the experiment group was similar to that in the control group (p>0.05). No patients in both groups had blood transfusion. There were no reports of thromboembolic events, no post operative infection and any other complications of all cases.