title: Craniomaxillofacial surgery in the Jehovah's Witness patient.
abstract: The reconstruction of severe craniofacial anomalies in patients who will not accept blood transfusions presents a considerable challenge to the craniofacial team. Traditionally, these patients have been refused major reconstructions, receiving no treatment or a highly compromised substitute. A management protocol was developed utilizing preoperative erythropoietin and ferrous sulfate therapy, intraoperative in-line normovolemic hemodilution, and meticulous intraoperative hemostasis which allows us to perform major craniomaxillofacial reconstructions in Jehovah's Witness patients without the use of homologous or predonated autologous blood transfusions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Illinois at Chicago.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Polley
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Berkowitz
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Figueroa
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Penney
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002648:Child; D002835:Christianity; D003394:Craniofacial Dysostosis / Q000601:surgery*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D008437:Maxilla / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D012886:Skull / Q000002:abnormalities*
chemical_list: D004921:Erythropoietin