Blood Conservation in a Congenital Cardiac Surgery Program

Abstract

Bloodless surgery programs are being instituted because of increasing public concerns about blood transfusions and the need to accommodate some patients' religious beliefs. Patients' desires to forego transfusion must be identified during the preoperative screening process and subsequently reflected on the surgical consent. Patients are managed preoperatively with erythropoietin and dietary supplements. The surgical team employs a variety of intraoperative and postoperative blood conservation techniques to help avoid the need for transfusion. A retrospective review of congenital cardiac procedures in a blood conservation program confirmed that bloodless cardiac surgery is effective.