Perioperative bleeding is closely related to the prognosis of patients, and massive blood loss can lead to serious adverse events. Tranexamic acid, a lysine derivative, exerts anti-fibrinolytic effects by competitively blocking lysine binding sites on plasminogen to achieve hemostasis. Perioperative use of tranexamic acid can effectively reduce the risk of bleeding and the need for blood transfusion, and reduce the risk of bleeding related complications and death. At present, the use of tranexamic acid for perioperative hemostasis is increasingly widespread, and it is gradually entering the consensus and guidelines in more surgical fields. In this paper, the mechanism of action, perioperative application and adverse reactions of tranexamic acid were reviewed, and the effectiveness and safety of tranexamic acid in different surgical types were discussed, so as to provide reference for the application and research of tranexamic acid in China.