Intraoperative autologous transfusion in children undergoing spinal surgery.

An intraoperative autologous transfusion program was used in conjunction with preoperative phlebotomy in 25 children undergoing elective spinal surgery. Operative red blood cells, 10,000 ml, with an average hematocrit of 55%, as well as 7,300 ml of preoperative phlebotomy blood were returned to the patients. No complications were noted. The complete blood count on discharge was satisfactory, and the clotting parameters were unchanged. The results of this study show that intraoperative autologous transfusion with preoperative phlebotomy is safe, easy to perform, and cost-effective in children undergoing elective spinal surgery. The risks of homologous blood transfusions were eliminated.