Comparison of autoreinfusion and standard drainage systems in total joint arthroplasty patients.

The purpose of this study was to compare the costs and outcomes of the postoperative autoreinfusion device, the Constavac, with the standard suction device, the Hemovac, in which blood drainage is discarded, in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty of the knee or hip. At the completion of the surgical procedure, a total of 91 subjects were randomly assigned to one of the two device groups. The findings of this study, which included a limited homogeneous sample, do not support the use of the Constavac device in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty.