The Efficacy of Tranexamic Acid in Craniomaxillofacial Surgery: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the use of tranexamic acid in craniomaxillofacial surgery by meta-analysis. A comprehensive search was performed for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) mainly in 3 electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library) before August 2022. We collected and managed data for weighted mean difference of intraoperative blood loss, transfusion requirement, and operation time for the study. A total of 13 randomized controlled trials were included in the analysis. Compared with the control group, the tranexamic acid group showed a reduction in intraoperative blood loss of 198.67 ml (95% CI: −258.84 to −138.50 ml, P<0.00001), with blood transfusion requirement decreased by 7.77 ml/kg (95% CI: −10.80 to −4.73, P<0.0001) and less operation time (weighted mean difference= −10.39 min; 95% CI: −16.49 to −4.30 min, P=0.0008).