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Reply to "Can this surgery be done without giving blood transfusions?"

Here's the problem. This surgery has a higher risk of a need for transfusion than most others. That is because for the rectal dissection, there is a dense network of blood vessels down there. Sometimes uncontrolled hemorrhage is a result, regardless of the care taken. While they can do pretty good with volume expanders that are not blood products, they ONLY provide blood volume support, NOT any oxygen carrying capacity. Even plasma is a blood product.

If you are opposed to any sort of transfusion, you may find it difficult to find a surgeon to do this outside of an emergency, other than a simple colectomy with ileostomy. But, if you are OK with autotransfusion and are healthy enough, then you can donate your own blood in advance to be used on you alone.

Another option available (particularly in cardiothoracic surgery centers and trauma centers) is intraoperative cell salvage. This requires a special machine that harvests the blood from the operative field, cleans it, and preps it for reinfusion "on the go." This is something you can discuss with your surgeon to see if it is available at your hospital. But, again, you have to be open to transfusion of your own blood.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I...rative_blood_salvage

Hope this helps.

Jan Smiler
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