What's the Harm? Evaluating Complications Associated with Salvaged Red Blood Cell Transfusion in Spinal Deformity Surgery: A Non-Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: Salvaged red blood cells (sRBCs) are frequently used in spine surgery, despite concerns about their quality and efficacy as a blood substitute. This study aimed to evaluate the association of sRBC transfusion with postoperative complications in spinal deformity surgery.

Methods: This single-center, prospective, nonrandomized controlled trial included patients undergoing posterior-based multilevel thoracolumbar instrumented fusion for spinal deformity from June 2022 to July 2023. Participants were grouped based on whether they received sRBC transfusion. Postoperative complications were analyzed using frequentist methods, with and without propensity score matching (PSM), and a series of five Bayesian models of varying complexity that included hierarchical structures and covariates. Model comparison followed by weighted model averaging based on predictive performance was performed to to integrate the results from the different models into a composite model.

Results: After PSM (specifically matching surgical invasiveness and blood loss), sRBC transfusion was associated with increased odds of infection (OR 3.77, 95% CI 0.99–14.33, p = 0.046), acute kidney injury (AKI, OR 3.36, 95% CI 1.37–8.22, p = 0.007), liver injury (OR 3.52, 95% CI 1.64–7.54, p = 0.001), pulmonary complications (OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.13–4.53, p = 0.025), and thrombocytopenia (OR 9.02, 95% CI 2.54–32.0, p < 0.001). The composite Bayesian model yielded consistent results, with additional associations noted for cardiac events (OR 2.18, 95% HDI 1.36–3.03) and coagulopathy (OR 3.13, 95% HDI 2.88–6.49). In contrast, allogeneic RBC transfusion was only associated with infection (OR 1.64, 95% HDI 1.04–2.59) and pulmonary complications (OR 1.73, 95% HDI 1.08–2.89).

Conclusion : sRBC transfusion in complex spine surgery is independently associated with increased risks of various complications. These findings reinforce concerns about the safety of sRBC transfusion, suggesting a need for caution in their use in this setting.