Perioperative Bleeding

Hemostatic agents are widely used in cardiac and vascular surgery to support intraoperative bleeding control. Despite their clinical relevance and substantial economic impact, little is known about real-world patterns of use, adherence to evidence-based recommendations, and the alignment between clinicians' perceived knowledge and actual decision-making. HAEMOVAX is a single-center mixed-methods observational study conducted at IRCCS Galeazzi-Sant'Ambrogio Hospital, Milan, Italy. The study combines an anonymous survey of cardiovascular surgeons with a retrospective audit of institutional hemostatic agent consumption. The primary objective is to evaluate the appropriateness of hemostatic agent selection using a Knowledge-Practice Alignment Score (KPA-Score) derived from standardized clinical vignettes based on current EACTS and ESA recommendations. Secondary objectives include assessment of usage patterns, barriers to appropriate use, concordance between declared practice and real-world consumption, and opportunities for evidence-based standardization.

The goal of this observational study is to learn how flow-based platelet function measured with the Total Thrombus-formation Analysis System (T-TAS) relates to early postoperative bleeding in adults undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. The study will also evaluate how T-TAS changes during the perioperative period and how it compares with standard coagulation and platelet function tests. The main questions it aims to answer are: Is lower post-cardiopulmonary bypass T-TAS Platelet-chip (PL-chip) thrombus formation associated with increased postoperative chest tube drainage during the first 12 hours after surgery? How do T-TAS parameters change before surgery, immediately after cardiopulmonary bypass, and 24 hours after surgery? Are abnormal T-TAS results associated with blood transfusion requirements, major bleeding, re-exploration for bleeding, and length of stay in the intensive care unit and hospital? Does T-TAS provide complementary information compared with standard coagulation tests, von Willebrand factor (vWF) measurements, platelet aggregometry, and viscoelastic testing? Participants will: Undergo blood sampling at three predefined perioperative time points: before anesthesia induction, immediately after cardiopulmonary bypass and heparin reversal with protamine, and 24 hours after surgery Have T-TAS testing, standard laboratory coagulation tests, vWF testing, platelet aggregometry, and viscoelastic testing performed on collected samples Have clinical, surgical, transfusion, and postoperative bleeding data collected during their hospital stay The study is observational and does not require changes to routine clinical care or perioperative management.

This is a multi-center, prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial (STEP-AF) designed to evaluate the safety of a stepwise anticoagulation strategy compared with the guideline-recommended standard anticoagulation regimen in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation at high thromboembolic risk (CHA₂DS₂-VASc score ≥2) undergoing cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) implantation. A total of 424 eligible patients will be randomized 1:1 to either the stepwise anticoagulation group (reduced-dose NOAC from 24 hours post-surgery to day 7, followed by standard-dose NOAC) or the standard anticoagulation group (standard-dose NOAC resumed 24 hours post-surgery). The primary endpoint is the incidence of clinically significant pocket hematoma within 30 days after surgery. Secondary endpoints include individual components of the primary endpoint and other composite outcomes of major perioperative bleeding events. The study aims to provide evidence-based data for optimizing perioperative anticoagulation regimens in Chinese patients undergoing CIED implantation.

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is commonly performed in elderly patients and may be associated with perioperative bleeding leading to postoperative anemia and delayed recovery. Tranexamic acid (TXA), an antifibrinolytic agent, may reduce surgical bleeding by inhibiting fibrin degradation. This prospective randomized quadruple-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluates whether perioperative administration of intravenous tranexamic acid reduces intraoperative blood loss and preserves postoperative hemoglobin concentration in patients undergoing TURP under standardized spinal anesthesia. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either intravenous tranexamic acid or placebo prior to surgery. The primary outcomes assess objective measures of perioperative blood loss and postoperative hemoglobin levels. Secondary outcomes include recovery parameters, perioperative safety, and exploratory hospital-level economic impact. The study aims to determine whether anesthesia-led haemostatic optimization using tranexamic acid improves perioperative physiological stability and recovery efficiency within an enhanced recovery framework.