storing own blood

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Tom Boerger

Hello.
I'm new to this forum, but this sight has already answered
some of my questions, and relieved alot of the anxiety. I
am due for aortic valve replacement in the very near future.
Will find out alot more after my heart catherization on April 9.
My question is one my sister actually suggested which
is donating and storing your own blood for surgery. I'm not
even sure how long blood can be stored. Would appreciate
any comments.
Thanks again for a great site.
Tom Boerger
 
Hello and welcome Tom

I'm not sure of the life of stored blood myself, so I'll leave that to those who may know. I can tell you this though, through both of my surgeries, I was given my own blood back during surgery. I did not have any taken and stored. They clean it and put it back in you. You might want to inquire as to whether they can do that where you have your surgery performed.

I'm sure your probably chomping at the bit, but any questions you have, just ask. We have all been there and done that so to speak. There is a wealth of information here and experience too! :)
 
I donated my own blood....3 units. I began by taking iron supplements. I believe, I began like 4-6 weeks before surgery and donated a unit every week. The blood center will not allow you to donate close to surgery because the surgeon will want your iron count up for the surgery. The Community Blood Center was great with all of the details. It has been less than 2 years since my surgery and I can't believe I cannot remember exactly how soon before surgery it was!
My efforts were futile however, in that I ended up needing at least 13 units of blood. (My daughter asked when she saw the nurse hanging a unit how many I had had and she said that the one she was hanging was number 13....and I know I had more after that!) My surgeon had said that he my not use any...but that 2-3 should be more than plenty.

Hope this helps!
 
Hi Tom, welcome to this site. Before my 2nd surgery I stored my own blood. The surgery was in Jan and I stored the blood starting in mid Dec. I think they said that the blood would last 1 month. I went three seperate times and I think they took a unit each time. I do know that they did not use all of the blood that I stored.
 
Blood storing

Blood storing

Tom,

Think I have your answer. I am scheduled for valve replacment on April 9th. I am going in to our blood center on March 18th and donating 2 units for storage. Our blood center, Bonfils Blood Center, a superb natinally recognized organization, told me that blood can be stored for 40 days max. They didn't want to cut it that close (40 days out) because your surgery can always be postposned by necessity (surgeon illness, emergency heart surgery of another patient, cardio's golf game - just kidding on that one).

Hope that helps. Best of luck and stay in touch.

Paul
 
Thanks for the reponse everybody. Big help. Will check with
the local blood bank.
 
Hi Tom-

Welcome to this wonderful site. As you can already see, people are pretty responsive here. We all "get it" when it comes to heart surgery, valves in particular.

Take a chance to read many posts in depth. You'll learn so much and it really does eliminate some of the stress.

We'll see you here lots and lots, I hope.
 
Welcome Tom,
At the time of my surgery the Red Cross had a designated donor system and I think they still do.
Donors such as family and friends fill out a form when they donate for you and these donations go to you.
In this day and age I felt safer getting blood from family and friends.
It turned out that all my donors were co-workers and I will never forget any of them.
I send each of them a thank you on my surgery anniversary every year.
 
Just wanted to mention that each blood transfusion has to be matched very strictly according to blood type, and also according to the antibodies in the blood.

If someone who donates for you isn't of the same blood type or doesn't match your particular antibody profile, their blood cannot be used for you, but others can benefit from their blood donation.
 
O is a universal donor. .Joe is B+ also and frequently gets O+. He has quite a few antibodies and that is a problem. There are very few donors who can match his blood. There is one that I know of in another part of New York. That person is O+, but his antibodies are similar to Joe's.

Unfortunately, he cannot donate his own blood.
 
I forgot to mention that all of my donors had my blood type.
Many others offered but did not have the right blood type.
 
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