Intraoperative, Salvaged, Autologous Blood Transfusion in Obstetric Surgery

Abstract

  Intraoperative, salvaged, autologous blood transfusions carried out with autotransfusion devices are commonly used for cardiovascular surgery, and also enable the treatment of massive hemorrhage in orthopedic surgery, gynecologic surgery, and so on. Such autologous transfusions can prevent potential complications of homologous blood transfusions, such as transmission of infection, immune reactions, and blood type incompatibility. A prominent concern with intraoperative autotransfusion in obstetric surgeries is the risk of transfusing salvaged blood that may be contaminated with amniotic and fetal substances which may cause amniotic fluid embolism. However, some investigators have reported that use of leukocyte depletion filters with intraoperative autotransfusion in cesarean section can guarantee complete elimination of amniotic and fetal substances and thereby prevent amniotic fluid embolism. Intraoperative autotransfusion with leukocyte depletion filters is therefore a promising technique for the treatment of profuse hemorrhage in obstetric surgery.