ROTEM-guided Transfusion Protocol in Attempt to Reduce Blood Transfusions in Major Oncological Surgery

Need for perioperative blood transfusion is still high in certain types of oncological abdominal surgery. Allogeneic blood transfusion may be detrimental in cancer patients undergoing a potentially curative resection of malignant tumor, although the detailed mechanism of this effect is still under debate. We plan to evaluate whether a new, rotational thromboelastography-guided algorithm (ROTEM) to guide hemostatic resuscitation intra-operatively decreases the use of allogeneic blood products, the total amount of bleeding, transfusion related side effects, thromboembolic complications and costs. Its effect on each patient's post-operative hemostatic profile is also measured. 60 patients having a potentially curative pancreaticoduodenectomy (or resection of cauda of pancreas), total removal or partial resection of kidney and open radical cystectomy are recruited when an active blood loss of more than 1500 ml is estimated and/or measured and are randomized into two groups: one will be treated conventionally, ie. using massive transfusion protocol (MTP) if necessary, clinical judgement and conventional coagulation tests, the other treated using a ROTEM-based algorithm.