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Background: Spinal fusion surgeries are often associated with major blood loss. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oral clonidine as premedication on the amount of blood loss and the need for blood transfusion during lumbar laminectomy spine surgery with pedicle screw insertion, achieved by controlled hypotension. Methods: In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, 100 patients scheduled for lumbar spine laminectomy with pedicle screw insertion (as a fusion procedure) were included. Patients were classified into two groups: The intervention group received a 0.2 mg clonidine tablet one hour before entering the operating room, and the control group received a placebo. The patients were compared with respect to hemodynamic variables, quality of the surgical field, duration of the surgery, estimated amount of blood loss, and any blood transfusion. Results: Oral clonidine was found to be significantly better in terms of maintaining stable dynamics and having a lower amount of blood loss, thereby requiring fewer blood transfusions compared to the control group. Conclusions: Premedication with 0.2 mg oral clonidine in patients undergoing lumbar spine laminectomy with pedicle screw insertion results in improved perioperative hemodynamic stability and a reduction in the amount of intraoperative blood loss, thereby reducing the need for blood transfusion.
Naghipour et al. (Tue,) studied this question.