Tranexamic Acid Does Not Improve Outcomes of Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a clot promoting agent utilized during orthopedic procedures to decrease bleeding. Urologists have demonstrated the benefits of TXA in percutaneous surgery. Our objective was to assess the safety and efficacy of single-dose TXA on same-day holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) outcomes. Methods: From September 2021 to January 2022, we prospectively randomized 110 patients undergoing HoLEP to either 1 g of TXA after induction or no treatment. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval (STU00215134) and registry with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05082142) were obtained before enrollment. Primary outcome was the rate of effective same-day discharge (SDD). Secondary outcomes included transfusion rate, same-day catheter removal, length of stay (LOS), and 90-day complications. Power analysis determined that 110 patients should be enrolled to detect a 25% difference in SDD rate. Results: There was no difference in patient demographic and prostate features between the control (n = 55) and TXA groups (n = 55; all p > 0.05). The overall rate of effective SDD was not different between the control and TXA groups (49/55 [89%] vs 51/55 [93%], p = 0.74). Median LOS (hh:mm) was not different between groups (03:07 vs 02:50, p = 0.23) with only 3/110 (2.7%) having an LOS >24 hours. Effective same-day catheter removal occurred in 99/110 (90%) patients with no difference between groups (49/55 vs 50/55, p = 0.99). There was no difference in operative parameters (time, energy, specimen weight) and postoperative complications between groups (all p > 0.05). No patients required transfusions and there were no major 90-day complications related to surgery (Clavien–Dindo ≥IIIb). Conclusion: TXA administration is safe but did not impact SDD after HoLEP.