title: Elective vascular surgery without transfusion.
abstract: Although blood transfusion has helped make major vascular surgery possible, it has done so at a potential cost to our patients. Allogeneic red cell transfusions subject patients to the risks of transfusion reactions, disease transmission, and immunomodulation. These risks can be avoided in the majority of our patients through a better understanding of transfusion practices and the use of multiple alternatives to allogeneic blood.
authors.affiliation: Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery, Head, Vascular Surgery Section, Cooper Hospital / Limc, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Camden, Camden, NJ.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Spence
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Atabek