Post-operative tranexamic acid decreases chest tube drainage following vertebral body tethering surgery for scoliosis correction.

PURPOSE: Anterior vertebral body tethering (VBT) is a non-fusion surgical treatment for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis requiring chest tube(s) (CT). We sought to assess the efficacy of post-op intravenous tranexamic acid (IV TXA) in reducing CT drainage and retention. METHODS: 35 VBT patients received 24 h of post-op IV TXA (2 mg/kg/h) were compared to 49 who did not. Group comparisons were performed using Wilcoxon rank-sum and chi-squared tests. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to assess the relationships between TXA and both CT drainage and retention time. RESULTS: There were no group differences at baseline (Table). CTs placed for thoracic (T) and thoracolumbar (TL) curves were assessed separately. For TH CT, there was less total CT drainage in the TXA group (TXA 569.4 ± 337.4 mL vs. Non-TXA 782.5 ± 338.9 mL; p = 0.003) and shorter CT retention time (TXA 3.0 ± 1.3 vs. Non-TXA 3.9 ± 1.4 days; p = 0.003). For TL CT, there was less total CT drainage in the TXA group (TXA 206.8 ± 152.2 mL vs. Non-TXA 395.7 ± 196.1 mL; p = 0.003) and shorter CT retention time (TXA 1.7 ± 1.3 vs. Non-TXA 2.7 ± 1.0 days; p = 0.001). Following multivariate analysis, use of TXA was the only significant predictor of both drainage in T and TL CTs (p = 0.012 and p = 0.002, respectively) as well as T and TL CT retention time (p = 0.008 and p = 0.009, respectively). There were no differences in LOS (p = 0.863) or ICU stay (p = 0.290). CONCLUSION: IV TXA results in a significant decrease in CT drainage and retention time. CT retention is decreased by 1 day for those that receive TXA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Hemoperitoneum from spontaneous rupture of a liver cell adenoma in a male with hyperthyroidism.

Spontaneous liver rupture is uncommon, is difficult to diagnose, and carries a high mortality. Liver cell adenoma is a rare benign liver tumor with increasing incidence in women on oral contraceptive pills, and they have been reported to rupture spontaneously. In men such a phenomenon is an extreme rarity. In animal experiments thyroid hormone is proven to play a role in the growth of liver cell-derived neoplasms as they do in normal hepatocyte proliferation. An association of liver cell adenoma and hyperthyroidism in humans has not been previously reported. We present the successful management of an unusual case of spontaneous hemoperitoneum from rupture of a liver cell adenoma in a young man with hyperthyroidism.