Anemia is a common problem in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery and is linked to delayed recovery and postoperative problems. Although blood transfusion is used when blood levels are low, it may increase the risk of other complications and cancer recurrence in such patients. Intravenous iron infusion has also been utilized to address this problem, albeit sparingly, and it remains unclear if treating patients with iron infusion before major surgery decreases the need for blood transfusions.
In a meta-analysis of five randomized controlled trials, researchers evaluated a subset of patients who had undergone bowel surgery and received iron intravenously before surgery. The analysis showed that patients who had received iron infusion were 33% less likely to require a blood transfusion during or after surgery than those who didn’t. The findings of this meta-analysis show…
