Heart Beat: Safety of bypass drug questioned

Heart Beat

Safety of bypass drug questioned

Are you headed for bypass surgery sometime soon? If so, ask your surgeon if he or she plans to use a clotting drug called Trasylol (aprotinin). Two reports suggest that you'd be better off with a safer and cheaper alternative.

Just before bypass surgery, surgeons often administer drugs that increase blood's natural clotting ability. These drugs can minimize blood loss and prevent the need for a transfusion. The choices include two generic drugs, aminocaproic acid and tranexamic acid, and Trasylol. Since it was approved in 1993, Trasylol has been used in thousands of bypass operations.

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