Oral iron powder for prehabilitation in hip and knee arthroplasty: A randomized controlled trial to optimize hemoglobin concentration

Background: One of the key aspects to enhance the suitability for surgery in elective arthroplasty is the optimization of hemoglobin concentration. In this randomized controlled trial, we investigated the efficacy of an oral iron supplement and its impact on blood management practices. Materials and methods: A total of 60 older adults undergoing elective hip or knee surgery were randomized to follow a month and a half of supplementation with a water-soluble powder containing iron and vitamins. We monitored iron homeostasis and the use of blood resources. Results: The trial was completed by 58 subjects. We observed a significant inter-group change in hemoglobin and its mean corpuscular concentration (P < 0.05), vitamin B6, B9 (P < 0.001), and B12 (P < 0.05). Albeit not statistically significant, fewer patients in the intervention group had hemoglobin over the threshold for blood unit request before (11 vs. 14) or transfusion evaluation after surgery (1 vs. 6), or actually received a blood transfusion (1 vs. 3). The extent of preoperative iron deficiency and hematocrit were predictive for postoperative blood units (AUC = 0.9). Conclusion: Iron homeostasis improved in the intervention group, while the changes in the control group were consistent with the depletion of iron reserves. The iron-based formulation enriched with vitamins was safe but showed a slight impact on blood management practices. The potential of optimizing patient blood management encourages the planning of large-scale studies, possibly combining a diet therapy to promote the consumption of foods rich in iron long before the operation.