Donating my own blood

[maxximom]

I have read here that some of you have donated or are planing on donating your own blood prior to surgery. Wheen I met with Dr. Glower at Duke last Thursday, I asked him that question. He told me that Heart patients are NOT allowed to donate ..that the Red Cross will NOT allow it. Does any one have info to the contrary. I would prefer my own good blood (?) to someone elses

 

[Peter Easton]

Red Crosses

Red Crosses

Our Red Cross doesn't do that either. But all that means is that they refer the potential "autologous" donor (the technical word, apparently, for one stocking up blood for her/his own operation) to another center -- in our case, it's the Southeast Community Blood Bank here in Tallahassee. Southeast is very practiced in the routine. My surgeon's office faxed them some instructions particular to my case and I am now midway between my first and second donations (one pint at a time!). I am supposed to give three "units" (pints) over the three sessions. They won't take blood within less than a week of the actual operation, so I'll be finishing out about 10 days before my surgery date.

They do check blood pressure and hemoglobin levels prior to taking blood. My blood pressure was low (expectable, I guess, with my degree of stenosis: upper 90s over upper 60s) and my hemoglobin level was likewise (13.1, I believe). They said that the donation might knock my hemoglobin level down below the acceptable level for autologous donors (11.0?), but that I could probably keep it up by eating an iron rich diet or taking supplements. Am due to hear more about this from the surgeon tomorrow and, in the meanwhile, am indulging unsuspected cravings for spinach...

Peter

 

[maxximom]

Donating my own blood

Dear Popeye..oops I mean Peter
Thanks for the info..I will check with Dr Glower again..I forgot Iand I haven't been on the bypass machine yet) when your surgery is sscheduled for. How long can they store your blood for..before you need it. I think that I will go for surgery Sept 21..I'm not sure about that yet..so I will have time to donate if they will let me.Dr. Glower seemed pretty definite about not donating..but I will check!!
Joan

 

[Peter Easton]

Storing the juice

Storing the juice

I think it can be stored about 30 days, though it depends what parts of blood they plan to use. In any case, the Centers (like the one where I am giving my blood) know all the particulars. The "shelf life" of the blood establishes one side of the time limit, and the minimum lapse of time between final donation and surgery establishes the other, as I remember it.

Peter

 

[Marty]

Self blood doanation

Self blood doanation

At my hospital they encourage self blood donation prior to surgery and also encourage directed donation from relatives and friends. Toward the end of my operation I got my own blood back but the wife and daughters were not needed so released for other patients.

 

[Kevin M]

Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin

They like to see the hemoglobin over 11.0 for your operation, but if it's a little low a week prior, I was told it was plenty of time to bring it back up.

I was prescribed Iron and Folic Acid to be taken daily starting immediately after my first donation. The Iron can give you a bit of a tummy ache and some other digestive things I would prefer not to mention, but it's no major inconvenience.

Eat those greens and enjoy some guilt-free steaks if you're allowed!
Kev

 

[Jean]

Collecting blood

Collecting blood

Ok, guys! I am really confused here. I have heard no one state that their hospital/surgeon didn't need the blood. At the Cleveland Clinic they told me that they can collect any blood I would bleed , cleanse it and reuse it. I have a picture of a little (like the thing the dentist uses for your saliva) sump pump sucking up my blood...imagination only! But I haven't heard any of the rest of you say anything like that, so now I'm wondering. I did not have any transfusions...is that part of the minimally invasive proceedure?

 

[Kevin M]

I was told they may or may not more blood. As I remember it, they didn't need much for me. I think it depends a lot on the procedure. If it is a reop or a complicated surgery, they need more.
Kev

 

[Nancy]

Joe had minimally invasive surgery and although they had to get blood for him, just in case, he didn't need it during surgery.

After surgery he did though. But he was on the edge of anemia prior to surgery.

 

[maxximom]

Donating my own blood

I spoke to Dr Glower's office again to make sure that I did not misunderstand him. I got the same answer..at Duke they will NOT let heart patients donate..they have concers about them "passing out" and some other reservations. It doesen't make sense to me..but that's the policy here. I do know sice my husband (Allan) had bypass surgery 15 years ago..the local blood bank in NY where we used to live..would no longer let him donate. Oh well I did try..its interesting that each doctor and hospital seems to differ

 

[ALCapshaw]

Recycling your own blood during surgery seems to be common practice. That's what they did when I had bypass in '99 and no additional blood was needed. I did ask about self donation and was told "not to worry", that most likely they would not need it and even if they did, they had confidence in the blood bank. I suppose if I had pushed, they may have allowed me to self donate.

'AL'

 

[Jean]

Recycling own blood

Recycling own blood

Thanks for clearing that up. I was beginning to think I had pumphead symptoms prior to surgery...quite possible with no more oxygen than my brain was probably getting then.