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Reducing bleeding and blood transfusions during pelvic surgery


August 13, 2014

Drs. Rodney Breau, Alan Tinmouth, Dean Fergusson and Franco Momoli have published a study in Transfusion Medicine Reviews that examines the effectiveness of medications to reduce bleeding during pelvic surgery. Surgery in the pelvic area is inherently difficult and may result in heavy bleeding that requires patients to undergo blood transfusions. The authors assessed the safety and efficacy of a class of medications called lysine analogs. Lysine analogs are commonly used during cardiac surgery and are relatively inexpensive. In the current publication, Breau and colleagues evaluated all of the available evidence evaluating lysine analogs during pelvic surgery. They found that this class of medication seems to be safe for patients, while reducing bleeding and blood transfusion requirements. In a previous study, Dr. Breau’s team showed that lysine analogs are not commonly used during pelvic surgery and they are now leading a multicenter prospective trial to verify the effect of lysine analogs during bladder cancer surgery.

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