Use of Topical Tranexamic Acid to Reduce Drainage Output After Thyroidectomy

Objective: Thyroid surgery is one of the frequent surgeries in daily operation schedules more often since the thyroid gland is very vascu- lar. Hematomas after thyroidectomy may cause airway obstruction, which is life-threatening and requires immediate surgical intervention. Therefore, many hemostatic devices and methods have been developed. Tranexamic acid is a synthetic lysine analog with low molecular weight. This study was planned to demonstrate the effect of intraoperative topical tranexamic acid on postoperative drainage output for thyroid surgery. Methods: This study was conducted in a tertiary referral center as a case-control study. In this case-control study, 57 patients were included. The patients were classified into 2 groups: those with intraoperative tranexamic acid (Group 1) and those without tranexamic acid (Group 2). The drainage output of patients after surgery was compared between the 2 groups. In Group 1, 1 ampoule of tranexamic acid was applied intra- operatively to the thyroid bed using a syringe after total thyroidectomy for 5 minutes. All the patients were followed up for the first 24 hours. Results: The mean value of postoperative drainage output in Group 1 was 28.55 mL (21.9 mL-35.1 mL); in Group 2 it was 51.75 mL (46- 57.4 mL). We observed a statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of postoperative drainage (P < .05). Conclusion: In our study, intraoperative topical tranexamic acid administration to the surgical bed after total thyroidectomy showed a signifi- cant decrease in postoperative drainage output. Cite this article as: Aksoy F, Yenigün A, Betül Yenigün V, et al. Use of topical tranexamic acid to reduce drainage output after thyroidectomy. 2022;18(2):99-102.