How to obtain hemostasis after aortic surgery

Abstract

Background. The establishment of hemostasis without the excessive transfusion of homologous blood and blood products is critical to successful aortic surgery. Methods and Results. By using preoperative autologous blood donation and intraoperative blood conservation measures, 85% of patients can undergo aortic surgical procedures without homologous blood or product transfusions, and almost three-quarters of patients will still not have required homologous transfusions by the time of discharge. In contrast, three-quarters of those patients who cannot donate blood preoperatively will require homologous blood transfusions. Conclusions. The strategy described is safe: our overall survival rate for 204 patients has been 98%, with a 1% incidence of stroke.