Abdominal Hysto

Ms Em,
I think there is also a device that can be used during surgery to clean up your own blood that you lose during the operation, and put it back in. I'm sorry but I don't remember what the name of the device is.
cookie1956

Hi Ms Em,
I was worried about the blood situation too. I had recently gotten a letter from the blood bank saying they are extremely low on my type, which is the only type I can have. So I asked about banking for myself. He said his surgery is basically bloodless. Geez, I hope he's RIGHT! LOL :-0
Puppet

My surgeon recommends that ALL of his patients bank two units of their own blood (autologous transfusion) for surgery. I was not able to do so due to health problems, but the blood bank had two units on standby at the hospital the morning of surgery. He's never had to transfuse a patient in his almost 25 years of practice, but feels it is a good insurance.

The blood bank was charging about $230 per unit for autologous donations, but said it would be reimbursed by my insurance company.

If you plan to donate your own blood, contact your doctor for a prescription to the blood bank. You may also have to start taking iron supplement pills to get your hemoglobin count up. My doctor would not permit autologous donations within two weeks before the surgery; he said I needed the blood in my body before surgery.

Doc said I lost very little blood during my TAH/BSO (stage III endo with adhesions and uterus twice the normal size). I looked up the amount on my operation report: 450 cc, which translates to 1.9 cups, or just under two cups blood.

That sounds like more than "very little" to me, but I'll trust the experts.

Ali

My Dr. rocommended I bank blood, although she rarely has to use it. It was hard because of my anemia, but I managed to get 2 pints put away. It kind of made me sad to hear that they could not use it for anyone else if I didn't need it. But if I do, it's there for me. Aunt Flo just showed up, so it looks like I'll be riding the cotton pony into the castle.....I may need it after all!