Optimizing Intraoperative Blood Management for One-Stage Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty

Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty: Current Concepts Review

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Bilateral total knee arthroplasty (BTKA) is an effective surgical treatment for bilateral knee arthritis and can be performed as a simultaneous surgery under a single anesthetic setting or as staged surgeries on separate days.

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Appropriate patient selection is important for simultaneous BTKA with several factors coming into consideration such as age, comorbidities, work status, and home support, among others.

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While simultaneous BTKA is safe when performed on appropriately selected patients, current evidence suggests that the risk of complications after simultaneous BTKA remains higher than for staged BTKA.

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When staged surgery is preferred, current evidence indicates that complication risks are minimized if the 2 knees are staged at least 3 months apart.

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Simultaneous BTKA is the economically advantageous treatment option relative to staged BTKA, primarily because of shorter total operative time and total hospital stay.

Blood Transfusion can be Avoided in Single-Anesthetic Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

Female gender and surgical drain use have been associated with an increased transfusion risk following single-anesthetic bilateral total knee arthroplasty (SBTKA). This study evaluated allogenic blood transfusion rates among female and male patients undergoing SBTKA with intraoperative tourniquet, tranexamic acid and contemporary blood transfusion thresholds but without surgical drain use.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective electronic medical record review for 125 consecutive patients undergoing SBTKA (250 knees) between May 1, 2015 and July 10, 2021. Patient demographic characteristics (age, gender, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists), preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin levels, perioperative transfusions, operative time, and hospital length of stay were compared between 76 female (60.8%) and 49 male (39.2%) patient cohorts using paired Student's t-test or Fisher's exact test with a P value <.05 for significance.

RESULTS

No patient in either gender-based cohort received a perioperative allogeneic or autologous blood transfusion (P = 1). There were no significant differences in patient demographic features or medical comorbidities. Male patients had significantly higher mean preoperative (14.7 versus 13.7 g/dL, P < .01) and postoperative (12.7 versus 11.8 g/dL, P < .01) hemoglobin levels and a shorter mean hospital length of stay (2.5 versus 3.0 days, P < .01). There was no difference in the mean operative time (154.7 versus 150.7 minutes, P = .34) or change in the hemoglobin level (2.1 versus 1.9 g/dL, P = .27).

CONCLUSION

SBTKA can be performed with a limited risk of perioperative transfusion with a combination of intraoperative tourniquet, tranexamic acid, conservative blood transfusion criteria, and avoidance of postoperative drain use. Study results were not influenced by patient gender.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

This is a level III, retrospective cohort study.

Should we use similar perioperative protocols in patients undergoing unilateral and bilateral one-stage total knee arthroplasty?

BACKGROUND

Bilateral one-stage total knee arthroplasty (BTKA) is now in greater use as an alternative option for patients with bilateral end-stage knee arthropathy. However, postoperative pain and disablement during convalescence from BTKA, and procedure-related complications have been concerning issues for patients and surgeons. Although some studies reported that BTKA in selected patients is as safe as the staged procedure, well-defined guidelines for patient screening, and perioperative care and monitoring to avoid procedure-related complications are still controversial.

AIM

To compare the perioperative outcomes including perioperative blood loss (PBL), cardiac biomarkers, pain intensity, functional recovery, and complications between unilateral total knee arthroplasty (UTKA) and BTKA performed with a similar perioperative protocol.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study on consecutive patients undergoing UTKA and BTKA that had been performed by a single surgeon with identical perioperative protocols. The exclusion criteria of this study included patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists score > 3, and known cardiopulmonary comorbidity or high-sensitivity Troponin-T (hs-TnT) > 14 ng/L. Outcome measures included visual analogue scale (VAS) score of postoperative pain, morphine consumption, range of knee motion, straight leg raise (SLR), length of stay (LOS), and serum hemoglobin (Hb) and hs-TnT monitored during hospitalization.

RESULTS

Of 210 UTKA and 137 BTKA patients, those in the BTKA group were younger and more predominately female. The PBL of the UTKA vs BTKA group was 646.45 ± 272.26 mL vs 1012.40 ± 391.95 mL (P < 0.01), and blood transfusion rates were 10.48% and 40.88% (P < 0.01), respectively. Preoperative Hb and body mass index were predictive factors for blood transfusion in BTKA, whereas preoperative Hb was only a determinant in UTKA patients. The BTKA group had significantly higher VAS scores than the UTKA group at 48, 72, and 96 h after surgery, and also had a significantly lower degree of SLR at 72 h. The BTKA group also had a significantly longer LOS than the UTKA group. Of the patients who had undergone the procedure, 5.71% of the UTKA patients and 12.41% of the BTKA patients (P = 0.04) had hs-TnT > 14 ng/L during the first 72 h postoperatively. However, there was no difference in other outcome measures and complications.

CONCLUSION

Following similar perioperative management, the blood transfusion rate in BTKA is 4-fold that required in UTKA. Also, BTKA is associated with higher pain intensity at 48 h postoperatively and prolonged LOS when compared to the UTKA. Hence, BTKA patients may require more extensive perioperative management for blood loss and pain, even if having no higher risk of complications than UTKA.

Simultaneous Bilateral Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty With TXA and Restrictive Transfusion Protocols: Still a 1 in 5 Risk of Allogeneic Transfusion

BACKGROUND

Historically, there was up to a 60% risk of blood transfusion for patients undergoing simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (SBTKA). As such, the goal of this study was to analyze the rate and risk factors for allogeneic blood transfusions in patients undergoing SBTKA with tranexamic acid (TXA).

METHODS

We retrospectively identified 475 patients who underwent SBTKA with a double dose TXA regimen at a single institution from 2016 to 2019. Mean age was 65 years. Two hundred fifty-seven patients (54%) were female. Mean body mass index was 30 kg/m². Drains were utilized in 143 patients (30%). Mean preoperative hemoglobin (Hgb) was 13.7 g/dL. Multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusting for age ≥70 years, sex, body mass index, drain use, and preoperative Hgb of <12.5 g/dL was utilized to identify risk factors for transfusion.

RESULTS

One hundred six patients (22%) received an allogeneic transfusion, including 28 patients (6%) who received ≥2 units. Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative Hgb <12.5 (OR = 3.99, P < .0001), female sex (OR = 2.34, P = .002), and drain use (OR = 2.13, P = .004) were risk factors for transfusion. Forty-two patients (42/83, 51%) with a preoperative Hgb <12.5 received a transfusion compared with 64 patients (64/392, 16%) with a Hgb ≥12.5 (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Patients undergoing SBTKA with contemporary blood management still have a 1 in 5 rate of allogeneic transfusion. Drain use independently increases transfusion risk by 2-fold and should be avoided. Patients with a preoperative Hgb <12.5 have a transfusion rate of 50% and, as such, should either not undergo SBTKA or have extensive perioperative blood optimization.