Short-term high-dose intravenous iron reduced peri-operative transfusion after staggered bilateral total knee arthroplasty: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Staggered bilateral total knee arthroplasty, two procedures performed 4-7 days apart during a single hospitalization, has an increased risk of blood transfusion. This observational study aimed to evaluate whether immediate post-operative single, high-dose intravenous iron supplementation could reduce transfusion requirements and facilitate anaemia recovery in patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 131 patients who underwent staggered bilateral total knee arthroplasty. The ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) group received 1000 mg of FCM after the first operation. The non-FCM group did not receive intravenous iron. The transfusion rate and post-operative complications were compared between the groups. The anaemia rate was evaluated pre-operatively, during hospitalization, and 5 weeks after the second total knee arthroplasty. RESULTS: The FCM group comprised 78 patients (59.5%). The rate (21.8% vs. 47.2%, p = 0.004) and amount of transfusion (0 [0-2] vs. 0 [0-0], p = 0.001) was significantly lower in the FCM group than in the non-FCM group. Although both groups' pre-operative haemoglobin concentrations were not significantly different, the FCM group demonstrated higher haemoglobin values 5 weeks post surgery (12.25 ± 0.83 mg/dl vs. 11.48 ± 1.36 mg/dl, p < 0.001). More non-FCM patients developed moderate to severe anaemia at 5 weeks post surgery (p < 0.001). The mortality and complication rates were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Immediate post-operative, high-dose, intravenous iron treatment may contribute to reduced transfusion rates, facilitate haemoglobin recovery after staggered bilateral total knee arthroplasty, and minimize the development of moderate to severe anaemia.

The Effect of Intraoperative Ferric Carboxymaltose in Joint Arthroplasty Patients: A Randomized Trial.

This study assessed the efficacy of intraoperative high-dose intravenous iron therapy in facilitating recovery from postoperative anemia and reducing the transfusion rate in patients with total knee and total hip arthroplasty. This prospective randomized controlled study involved 58 subjects. Group F received 1000 mg intravenous ferric carboxymaltose and Group C received normal saline. The changes in hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit, iron metabolism variables, transfusion rates, and the arterial partial pressure of oxygen and the fraction of oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) ratio were recorded. There were 29 patients of each group. The change in Hb levels from baseline to 1 month post-surgery was higher in Group F than in Group C (0.3 ± 1.0 g/dl vs. -0.8 ± 0.8 g/dl, p < 0.001). Functional iron deficiency occurred more frequently in Group C (0% vs. 48.3%, p < 0.001) after the operation. The incidence of postoperative anemia, transfusion rate and P/F ratio did not significantly differ between the two groups. This study suggests that intraoperative high-dose ferric carboxymaltose during lower limb total arthroplasty can facilitate the recovery from postoperative anemia. Although it could not prevent the occurrence of postoperative anemia or the administration of transfusion, this treatment seemed to overcome surgery-related decrease of iron availability.