Just curious. How many here donated their own blood for their upcoming surgeries, and how many actually had to have a blood transfusion? I just went and gave 1 pint of my own blood this past week and I'm supposed to go next week to give one more pint, to have if needed.
Blood Transfusions
- Thread starter Angel
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Philip B
Well-known member
Transfusion?
Transfusion?
I asked about banking some of my own blood for surgery, but my surgeon told me his team would simply reuse the blood I lost during surgery via a filtering system.
-Philip
Transfusion?
I asked about banking some of my own blood for surgery, but my surgeon told me his team would simply reuse the blood I lost during surgery via a filtering system.
-Philip
I had a blood transfusion the day after surgery because one of my lungs partially collapsed (sounds worse than it actually was). It all happened so quickly. I was up and sitting in the chair in my room (still in ICU) when the nurse came in and ordered me back into bed because my oxygen levels were dropping too quickly. She called in respiratory and then before I knew it, the nurse was giving me a consent form to sign for a blood transfusion.
Ross
Well-known member
I never donated any. Just had it cleaned and replaced during surgery.
It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to put a pint or two in the donation slot just in case.
It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to put a pint or two in the donation slot just in case.
ALCapshaw2
Well-known member
The Heart Lung machine is known to do 'some damage' to blood cells.
I remember reading where one patient's surgeon banked some of that patient's blood to help prevent anemia following surgery. It seems like and interesting idea but is not commonly done.
'AL C'
I remember reading where one patient's surgeon banked some of that patient's blood to help prevent anemia following surgery. It seems like and interesting idea but is not commonly done.
'AL C'
NealR
Well-known member
I did. 2 Pints. Surgeon wanted 3, but after two donations in 3 weeks, was all I could stand.
This was my choice, surgeon felt positive about the blood supply. However, donating your own blood, according to my surgeon does reduct the risk of afibs, and might make it easier on the new valves not having to adjust to a new blood supply.
In the end, all I needed was the platelets due to the recycling of my own blood.
However, there is a down side to this. I think it takes your body about 60 days, or more to regenerate the blood lossed. Furthermore, I am advised that the blood is only good for 30 days. So not only will you be recovering from surgery, you will also be recovering from a loss of blood.
If you do this, takes lots, and I mean LOTS of iron, and the ever available stool softerners.
Best answer to this should also go to a GP/and or oncologist.
It was my oncologist that recomended I do this.
This was my choice, surgeon felt positive about the blood supply. However, donating your own blood, according to my surgeon does reduct the risk of afibs, and might make it easier on the new valves not having to adjust to a new blood supply.
In the end, all I needed was the platelets due to the recycling of my own blood.
However, there is a down side to this. I think it takes your body about 60 days, or more to regenerate the blood lossed. Furthermore, I am advised that the blood is only good for 30 days. So not only will you be recovering from surgery, you will also be recovering from a loss of blood.
If you do this, takes lots, and I mean LOTS of iron, and the ever available stool softerners.
Best answer to this should also go to a GP/and or oncologist.
It was my oncologist that recomended I do this.
colsha
Member
Howdy,
This procedure is called Autologous Blood Donation. I provided 3 "donations" prior to my 1999 surgery (coarctation repair).
However, when I asked my "new" surgeon (from the same practice) whether it was worthwhile doing for my 2010 surgery (Aortic Valve and Aneurysm, he stated that any blood loss would be minimal and the benefits of providing autologous blood (based on his experience and work procedures) just weren't there. (So I didn't!)
Listen to your surgeon. His experience in the operation he's (hopefully) performed many, many times before will guide his answer and provide you with peace of mind.
Having said that, it's a handy topic to know about.
Here are a couple of web pages which outline Autologous Blood Donations. (note: one of these sites is American and the other Australian, so there may be a few details which are country specific.
http://www.bloodbook.com/autolog-1.html
http://www.manual.transfusion.com.a...ogous-Predeposit-Blood-Collection-Policy.aspx
Cheers
Col
This procedure is called Autologous Blood Donation. I provided 3 "donations" prior to my 1999 surgery (coarctation repair).
However, when I asked my "new" surgeon (from the same practice) whether it was worthwhile doing for my 2010 surgery (Aortic Valve and Aneurysm, he stated that any blood loss would be minimal and the benefits of providing autologous blood (based on his experience and work procedures) just weren't there. (So I didn't!)
Listen to your surgeon. His experience in the operation he's (hopefully) performed many, many times before will guide his answer and provide you with peace of mind.
Having said that, it's a handy topic to know about.
Here are a couple of web pages which outline Autologous Blood Donations. (note: one of these sites is American and the other Australian, so there may be a few details which are country specific.
http://www.bloodbook.com/autolog-1.html
http://www.manual.transfusion.com.a...ogous-Predeposit-Blood-Collection-Policy.aspx
Cheers
Col
I would ask your surgeon how many of his patients having the same surgery need a tranfusion. One concern if it is closeto surgery when you donate, is since it takes a while for all the Red Cells to be replaced, you might be starting out surgery lower then if you didn't donate. Often people that donate their own blood, need blood after surgery, since they started lower and chances were if they didn't donate, they would not have needed any blood.
The OLD bypass machines USED to need about a unit of blood just to prime them so most people needed at least 1 unit, but the ones that were new (about 10 or so years ago) don't need to be primed and for most valve replacements now you don't use blood.
The OLD bypass machines USED to need about a unit of blood just to prime them so most people needed at least 1 unit, but the ones that were new (about 10 or so years ago) don't need to be primed and for most valve replacements now you don't use blood.
Chele
Active member
I did not donate my own blood , but i did need 2 pints. One in the first 24 hours after surgery and one on the 4th day after surgery Doc said my h and h was low. On that 4th day felt very drained did not even have enough energy to open the plastic silverware, and i was very white, even my lips. However after the blood hubby tells everyone i chased the supper cart down the hall.
My h and h numbers are still low my doc even told me to eat red meat he said that was something he never does(my cholestrol is very good) lol and i take a daily iron tab and softeners.
My iron has always run a bit low though, maybe due to the fact i dont really like to eat red meat I much prefer chicken sometimes go months without red meat, the only kind ireally like is arbys roast beef and pepperoni if that even counts lol
Michele
My h and h numbers are still low my doc even told me to eat red meat he said that was something he never does(my cholestrol is very good) lol and i take a daily iron tab and softeners.
My iron has always run a bit low though, maybe due to the fact i dont really like to eat red meat I much prefer chicken sometimes go months without red meat, the only kind ireally like is arbys roast beef and pepperoni if that even counts lol
Michele
Jkm7
Well-known member
I'm like you. I eat mostly chicken and fish and have just about lost all taste for beef. Once in a while I'll cook steaks for dinner and I eat a few bites. DH gets the rest for a sandwich the next day. 
I did not make a self blood donation either surgery.
I did not make a self blood donation either surgery.
Hi Angel,
I did not donate my own blood prior to surgery as I was told the chances of needing a blood transfusion were low (but possible). In addition, they were not too keen on me donating my own blood so close to surgery for the reasons Lyn, Chele and NealR mentioned.
However, I did bleed right after surgery(to everyone's surprise) and did require plasma as well as a pint of blood (I am very petite). It certainly was better than the other option of having to go back to the OR and be opened up again to see where the bleeding was coming from. My understanding is this is not a common occurence and I was not the norm. Go figure...
I did not donate my own blood prior to surgery as I was told the chances of needing a blood transfusion were low (but possible). In addition, they were not too keen on me donating my own blood so close to surgery for the reasons Lyn, Chele and NealR mentioned.
However, I did bleed right after surgery(to everyone's surprise) and did require plasma as well as a pint of blood (I am very petite). It certainly was better than the other option of having to go back to the OR and be opened up again to see where the bleeding was coming from.
My understanding is this is not a common occurence and I was not the norm. Go figure...
This is an interesting subject. Cell-savers are used to recover, filter and reinfuse blood during surgery and should reduce the need for other blood transfusions. I believe this is the rule now in surgery. Still, my surgeon wanted me to donate 2 units during the month prior to surgery. I did so and felt no ill effects from that at all. BUT after surgery my HCT fell to 22, I felt like absolute crap, and I received back one unit of my blood. That brought my HCT back over 26, which is above the hospital's cut-off for receiving further transfusions. I felt OK, but was pretty weak and it took me months to resolve my anemia. So, I see this as a dilemma. My HCT was 45 before I donated the first unit. I think it was 35 after the second unit. So, even though I felt OK at that point, I went into surgery anemic and suffered further blood loss during surgery despite the cell-saver. Had I gone into surgery at HCT of 45 without donating 2 units, I probably would have been better off and not needed to get one of those units back after surgery. So, I don't see the advantage of banking blood close to surgery. That's just my layman's point of view. I did not get a chance to go over this with my surgeon and see if he had another rationale for wanting the autologous blood available.
AgilityDog
Well-known member
Well, for those of us on coumadin, we're not eligible to donate blood for the general pool, and I doubt donating my own for my own use for my upcoming AVR would help control bleeding if my INR is 3.5 when I donate!
With my MVR and Maze I got 2 units, plus another 2 units of platelets over about 4 days. Of course I was one sick little puppy (oh wait! PUN) before surgery, and my surgery took longer than expected.
With my MVR and Maze I got 2 units, plus another 2 units of platelets over about 4 days. Of course I was one sick little puppy (oh wait! PUN) before surgery, and my surgery took longer than expected.
My surgeon said he expected to use no blood. I did leave one unit just in case but it wasn't necessary. He said afterwords that bloodloss was less than 6 ounces which wasn't enough to worry about considering all the fluids they were pumping into me.
Larry
Larry
I did not donate before surgery. But, I received 2 pints a week after due to anemia.
I asked about providing my own blood, the surgeon said more than likely none would be needed but since I insisted probably 2 pints would be plenty. I provided 4 pints, one a week before AVR.
The next morning after surgery, about 4 AM they started getting ready to give me blood. I asked to see the blood to be sure it had my signature on the container... it did! (I had given the blood at a hospital where I lived, 550 miles from where I had surgery) This was not many years after some blood banks had been contaminated with AIDS. The 4 pints didn't help much, for before I went home they had given me 21 units of blood.
The next morning after surgery, about 4 AM they started getting ready to give me blood. I asked to see the blood to be sure it had my signature on the container... it did! (I had given the blood at a hospital where I lived, 550 miles from where I had surgery) This was not many years after some blood banks had been contaminated with AIDS. The 4 pints didn't help much, for before I went home they had given me 21 units of blood.
My surgeon was a bit insulted when I asked if I should donate blood before the procedure: "What would you need it for?"
True to his word, I never needed a drop.
Best wishes,
True to his word, I never needed a drop.
Best wishes,
BarbJean
Well-known member
I totally forgot to ask the surgeon about the possibility of needing blood. Is this a dumb question? How can you donate blood if you are having surgery done far away? Do they send it to them or do you have to carry it with you in a doggy bag?
More often than not, the donation of your own blood depletes you, when the need for blood during the surgery is relatively low. I did require blood after my surgery due to blood loss and was administered a couple different of blood products. I still left the hospital very anemic, but made my own just fine, as testing showed my hematocrit to be just fine a month later. I am an RN and feel confident in the screening of the blood supply currently, in the past there were far more issues.
