Differences in total blood loss and transfusion rate between different indications for shoulder arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: In this study, the total blood loss, transfusion rate and number of transfused blood units in patients with different indications for shoulder arthroplasty: primary, fracture and secondary were compared. Risk factors for bleeding and transfusion were analysed. METHODS: Medical records and the database of the institution's blood bank from 527 patients that received shoulder arthroplasty were analysed retrospectively. This study included 419 patients that were divided in three different groups: primary (n = 278), fracture (n = 110) and secondary (following prior osteosynthesis; n = 31) shoulder arthroplasty. The demographic and clinical data were collected. The total blood loss (TBL) was calculated and transfusions recorded. RESULTS: The transfusion rate and mean amount of transfused blood units (BU) were higher in fracture (32.7% and 0.69BU, p < 0.01) and secondary arthroplasty (35.5% and 0.97BU, p < 0.01) than in primary arthroplasty (12.6% and 0.28BU). The overall transfusion rate was 19.6% at a mean TBL of 370 ml. However, patients with primary arthroplasty experienced significantly higher total blood loss than those after fracture arthroplasty (p < 0.01). Longer surgery time and male sex are significant risk factors for elevated blood loss. The pre-operative use of vitamin K antagonist, cemented arthroplasty, high BMI, coronary heart disease and ASA score > 2 are relevant risk factors for blood transfusion. CONCLUSION: The most important susceptible factor that affects the TBL is the surgery time. Transfusion rates are higher in patients with fracture arthroplasty than after primary arthroplasty.

Bleeding in primary shoulder arthroplasty.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this investigation was to analyse "total blood loss" (TBL), "blood transfusion rate" (BT) and the "amount of transfused blood units" (BU) between the different primary shoulder arthroplasty (SA) types: reverse, anatomical and stemless. Only primary SA was included. Further goal was to identify risk factors for TBL, amount of BU and BT rate. METHODS: A retrospective charts analysis of patients who received primary SA for degenerative shoulder pathology in our institution between 2004 and 2016 was performed. The demographic data, co-morbidities, haemoglobin and hematocrit level, BT rate, amount of transfused BU etc. were collected. TBL was estimated. Linear regression, log-linear poisson regression and logistic regression were used to compare the outcomes TBL, amount of transfused BU and BT rate, respectively, between different prosthesis types. RESULTS: Of 278 patients included in this study 209 received reverse, 57 anatomical and 12 stemless SA. Mean TBL was 392.7 ml in reverse, 394.6 ml in anatomical and 298.3 ml in stemless SA. The BT rate and mean amount of BU were, respectively, 14.4% and 0.32 in reverse and 8.77% and 0.23 in anatomical SA. None of the patients with stemless arthroplasty received BT. Significant risk factors for elevated TBL are operation time, higher BMI, male sex. Significant risk parameters for BT and higher amount of transfused BU are low BMI, cemented arthroplasty, coronary heart disease, ASA score > 2 and previous therapy with vitamin K antagonists. CONCLUSION: Although there were little differences between the blood transfusion rates in reverse vs. anatomical arthroplasty, there was no difference in total blood loss between these different prosthesis types. None of the patients with stemless arthroplasty received blood transfusion. There are various risk factors affecting total blood loss and blood transfusion rate. However, risk parameters influencing blood transfusion may be different to them affecting total blood loss.