Autologous blood transfusion with erythropoietin in heart surgery in an anemic patient
Watanabe, Y.; Fuse, K.; Naruse, Y.; Kobayashi, T.; Konishi, H.; Shibata, Y.
Nihon Kyobu Geka Gakkai 40(2): 282-285
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0369-4739 PMID: 1593170 Document Number: 401232
A 78-year-old women was diagnosed as having three-vessel coronary artery disease. A coronary artery bypass operation with autologous blood transfusion was indicated because of the irregular antibody and became homologous blood transfusion would lead to hemolytic complications. Since she had anemia (hemoglobin level, 10.7 g/dl) and autologous blood could not be collected, recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) and iron preparations were administered intravenously every day. The hemoglobin level reached 12.1 g/dl two weeks after administration, and then autologous blood was donated. The firist 1200 ml of blood was stored frozen, and the last 400 ml and liquid in consideration of the blood preservation period. Surgery was performed uneventfully after 8 weeks of rHuEPO administration. No homologous blood transfusion was required during and after surgery. By using rHuEPO, it is thus possible to perform heart surgery without homologous blood transfusion even in patients with anemia, for whom blood transfusions have been considered necessary.