Reconstructive spinal surgery in scoliotic patients is knovvn to be associated with excessive blood loss. Effects of Desmopressin (1 -deamino-8-D-arginin vasopressin) on blood loss and urinary output in patients un-dergoing anterior and/or posterior scoliosis surgery was studied on 21 patients. Patients were randomized into desmopressin (DDAVP) (n = 12) and placebo (n = 9) groups. The amount of blood loss, urine output, hae-matocrit values, and the required blood and fluid intake were monitored at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180 min. during the operation using a celi saver and at the 24 th hour after surgery. Results were evaluated using two factor ANOVA (DDAVP vs. Placebo and Anterior vs. Posterior).

A significant difference in the number of operated levels was found between the anterior and posterior surgery groups along with a significant diff erence in the average duration of the operations. The blood loss par-ameters during surgery, total blood loss, blood loss/number of operated levels, required amount of fluid intake, haematocrit values, and diuresis parameters vvere found not to be sensitive to either the type of surgery or to the presence of DDAVP treatment.

The preliminary results of our random-prospective study indicate that DDAVP treatment probably does not have a significant effect on the blood loss in scoliosis surgery, but does not cause any significant side effects either. These findings need to be revalidated by increasing the number of patients included in this study.

Keywords: Scoliosis surgey. Desmopressin.