Potential Applicability of Perioperative Thromboelastography to Access the Coagulopathies in Live-Related Renal Transplantation – A Prospective Observational Pilot Study

Abstract

Ischemic and reperfusion injury (IRI) occurs during organ transplantation. IRI during liver transplantation is well studied and established; results in coagulopathy due to release of heparin-like substances and platelet trapping. During renal transplantation, similar IRI phenomenon occurs, and thromboelastography (TEG) can be used to detect and manage coagulopathy. The preoperative, immediate postreperfusion, and postoperative day 1 TEG was done on 25 cases of live-related renal transplantation. Coagulopathy was defined by deranged and abnormal TEG variables values from baseline and supported by the clinical presence of nonsurgical oozing and bleeding in the surgical field. The postreperfusion TEG values showed coagulopathic changes. About 64% of patients had R-time (RT) more than 12 min, 64% of patients showed maximum amplitude (MA) <55 mm, and 76% of patients had alpha angle <55°. The presurgical TEG clotting index (CI) was +2.45 ± 1.25, postreperfusion CI was -1.96 ± 4.54, and postoperative CI was +4.02 ± 1.35. Univariate analysis revealed that antithymocyte globulin was a significant, but etiology was closure to a significant level as protecting factor, but in multivariate analysis, both variables showed protecting factor with insignificant results. There was a weak correlation between CI with serum creatinine at all time points suggested no linear relationship between serum creatinine and corresponding CI. Hence, the results of study proves that IRI during renal transplant is associated with transient self-limiting coagulopathy, that may be early detected by TEG. CI values in postoperative 24 h apart indicating a hyper-coagulable or prothrombotic state and post-reperfusion CI values show a trend toward hypocoagulable status. No significant effect of different immunosuppression on coagulation and week correlation was found of serum creatinine level (graft function) with CI, which conclude that changes in coagulation have not affected graft function.