title: The effect of preoperative blood transfusion on morbidity and survival in colorectal malignancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is believed that blood transfusions adversely affect colorectal cancer surgery. However, intra- and postoperative blood transfusions represent urgent interventions, and immeasurable confounding factors may affect the shortand long-term outcome. Therefore, we compared colorectal cancer patients who had received preoperative blood transfusion with patients who did not receive transfusions with regard to postoperative complications and long-term outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of 333 patients who were operated for colorectal malignancy between 1980 and 1995 were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-one patients (18.3%) received preoperative blood transfusions. Wound infection rate was higher (14.2% vs 1.9%) in the no-transfusion group. Disease-free survival was not different between the groups (p=0.134). Cumulative survival was adversely affected in the preoperative transfusion group (p=0.012). However, preoperative blood transfusion did not emerge to be an independent factor for wound infection or for death on follow-up when the confounding factors were corrected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative transfusion during surgery for colorectal malignancy does not result in an increase in postoperative complications, long-term failure or death rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Başkent University Adana Teaching and Research Center, Adana, Turkey. tznursal@baskent-adn.edu.tr
authors.forename: Tarik Zafer
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Nursal
authors.forename: Erhan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hamaloğlu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome