TXA results in less bleeding and quicker recovery from surgery | Health

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Dr. Kelly: My sister had her facelift in another city and the surgeon used a drug she called TXA. What is that?

Dr. Kelly. TXA is short for Tranexamic Acid. It is a drug which can be given in the patients IV or it can be sprayed topically during surgery. TXA’s primary effect is to reduce bleeding during surgery. It has been used for many years during cardiac surgery and orthopedic operations to reduce the amount of blood that is lost during surgery.

Recently, plastic surgeons have started using tranexamic acid during facial surgery such as facelifts and eyelid surgery. In a recent study from the NIH, patients having facelifts were given either TXA or placebo in their IV prior to surgery. The patients who received TXA had statistically significant less bruising than those who were given placebo. There were no complications such as blood clots associated with the use of TXA in the study.

In my practice, we have seen good results using tranexamic acid in facial surgery patients. I have noticed less bleeding during surgery and less bruising afterwards.

During surgery, this is particularly evident when the epinephrine we give at the beginning of the case has worn off. In the past, I would notice an increase in bleeding at that point, whereas with TXA, it seems much less.

The patient here was treated with TXA and had a great result right away after surgery. The bottom line: I think that TXA is a nice adjunct to make surgery easier and help patients recover faster after a facelift or eyelid surgery.

About Dr. Kelly

Dr. Kelly is a board-certified Plastic Surgeon and partner in both Miami Plastic Surgery and MPS MedSpa. He has been in practice over 25 years and has been recognized by his peers both nationally and internationally as one of the best plastic surgeons in the United States. In addition to being an expert on Cosmetic Surgery, his practice encompasses the entire spectrum of non-invasive treatments such as Botox, fillers, CoolSculpting, ultrasound, lasers and radio-frequency.

He also believes in giving back to our community, having served on the Village Council for eight years and volunteering as a coach for our youth sports programs. You can email him questions at mkelly@miamiplasticsurgery.com.



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