1990 Volume 19 Issue 3 Pages 1096-1099
The usefullness of Cell Saver for autotransfusion of shed mediastinal blood following open heart surgery was investigated in 18 patients (MVR 8 cases, CABG 6 cases, AVR 2 cases, OMC+TAP 1 case and Bentall's op. 1 case). Stored banked blood of 487±73ml (mean±SE) per patient was saved by this method and in 15 patients no transfusion was required postoperatively. The free hemoglobin in drainaged blood revealed high concentration (649.1±54.4mg/dl) but it decreased significantly to 99.8±13.5mg/dl after using Cell Saver. Similarly, anmonia, total birilubin, K+, LDH, CPK, GOT, GPT, BUN, creatinine, total protein, white blood cell count and platelet count in drainaged blood decreased significantly. Red blood cell count, hemoglobin and hematocrit increased but there was no statistical significance. No patient had positive blood cultures and there were no unfavorable effect on the patients by this method. Consequently, we concluded that the autotransfusion of postoperatively drainaged blood treated by the Cell Saver after open heart surgery is safe and usefull.
