Transfusion requirements and outcomes in patients undergoing abdominal aortic surgery using intra-operative cell salvage.
BACKGROUND
Intraoperative cell salvage (ICS) is the recovery, anticoagulation, filtration and reinfusion of blood lost during surgery. The aim of this study is to determine the safety and efficacy of ICS in emergency and elective abdominal aortic surgery.


METHODS
This study reviews volumes of blood loss, blood salvaged with ICS, allogenic blood requirements, and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing abdominal aortic surgery using ICS.


RESULTS
Seventy-nine patients undergoing abdominal aortic surgery are included. Supplemental allogenic blood was not required in 45/79 (57%) of all patients. Transfusion with allogenic blood was not necessary in 41/63 (66%) of elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repairs. ICS was associated with no major complications.


CONCLUSIONS
ICS is a safe procedure and substantially reduces the need for blood transfusion in patients undergoing abdominal aortic surgery. It may substantially alleviate shortages of allogenic blood and should be part of the armamentarium of vascular units.
Healy
C F
CF
Department of Vascular Surgery, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland. healyciaran@eircom.net
Doyle
M
M
Egan
B
B
Hendrick
B
B
O'Malley
M K
MK
O'Donohoe
M K
MK
D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery*; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001793:Blood Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous / Q000379:methods*; D001810:Blood Volume; D019992:Databases as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome