Many patients need blood thinners to prevent clots before having spinal surgery. But these drugs can cause bleeding during the procedure. A new look at medical records from 2021 to 2023 offers a solution for these patients. Researchers compared two groups of people who had posterior lumbar interbody fusion surgery. One group received a single dose of tranexamic acid, a drug that stops bleeding, right before the skin was cut. The other group did not get this extra medicine. Both groups had taken their usual blood thinners within a week before the operation.
The results were clear for the group that received the clot-preventing drug. They lost significantly less blood during the surgery and produced less fluid afterward. This means the surgical team faced less bleeding to manage. However, the study found no difference in how much blood remained in the body after the operation. Red blood cell counts and hemoglobin levels stayed the same for everyone.
Importantly, the drug did not cause safety issues. No patients developed dangerous blood clots in their legs, and all incisions healed well. The length of the hospital stay was also similar for both groups. This approach helps surgeons manage bleeding in patients who must take blood thinners, without adding new risks.