Aortic valve replacement in a Jehovah's Witness: a case of multi-disciplinary clinical management for bloodless surgery.
An 81-year-old female Jehovah's Witness (JW) patient with severe aortic stenosis required aortic valve replacement (AVR). However, the patient's religious beliefs precluded the use of primary blood components. Since the definitive treatment of AVR required bloodless open heart surgery, careful peri-operative plans were set forth by a multi-disciplinary team involving the cardiothoracic surgeon, haematologist and anaesthetist. The patient went on to successfully recover postoperatively. This case highlights: 1) The importance of carefully navigating through the most recent clinical and ethical protocol involved in the surgical management of JW's. 2) The importance of preparing individually tailored pre, intra and postoperative plans that are delivered through a multi-disciplinary clinical team to ensure the best and safest possible outcomes.
University of Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. j_park1088@hotmail.com
John Jungpa
JJ
Park
Christopher C
CC
Lang
Lynn
L
Manson
Edward T
ET
Brackenbury
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D057668:Bloodless Medical and Surgical Procedures / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D033221:Jehovah's Witnesses; D010348:Patient Care Team