The following is a summary of “Tranexamic Acid Prevention of Hemorrhagic Complications Following Interpolated Flap Repair: A Single-Center, Retrospective, Cohort Study,” published in the December 2023 issue of Dermatology by Freeman, et al.
The use of tranexamic acid (TXA) to stop bleeding problems that can happen after skin surgery is becoming common. Interpolated flap patches after Mohs micrographic surgery are more likely to cause bleeding and unexpected visits to the hospital, especially in people who are on antithrombotic medication.
For a study, researchers sought to compare the number of bleeding events that happened after an adjusted flap repair in patients who got TXA and those who didn’t.
Interpolated flap patches were found in previous 5-year studies. The study looked at hemorrhagic consequences, which were divided into two groups that were major bleeding events, which included all unplanned medical visits, and minor bleeding events, which included any unplanned phone calls or texts from patients through their electronic medical records.
For 5 years, 115 patients had interpolated flap repair, and 21 (18.3%) of them had TXA after the operation. In the group that didn’t get TXA, there were 27 blood events, but only one in the group that did get TXA. When patients got TXA, they were less likely to have bled (28.7% vs. 4.8%, P <.01). After getting a TXA shot under the skin, patients who were having an interpolation flap repair were less likely to bleed.
