'Bloodless' surgery offers an alternative to transfusion

Doctors, even those who advocate for blood conservation, say blood transfusions are still a safe and often necessary part of modern medicine.

"What is going to drive conservation of blood is inventory," said Lawrence Goodnough, M.D., professor of medicine at the School of Medicine and president of the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management. "We're kind of skating along with low inventories."

While philosophies about when to use transfusions have changed, nothing can replace them, A bloodless medicine program offers alternatives for those who do not want blood, and helps to save the supply for those who need it. The term "bloodless medicine" is a little misleading. Surgeons still cut. Patients still bleed. But, at the patient's request, caregivers pledge not to use donated blood products.

"Blood has never been safer," said Goodnough, a transfusion expert at Washington University. "I want to be very reassuring about that."

Some people, adds Goodnough, will always need donated blood.

"Who are we saving the blood supply for? For trauma cases or bone marrow transplants or newly diagnosed conditions and people who can't plan ahead," he said.

The best candidates for bloodless medicine are patients undergoing scheduled or elective procedures. These allow time to take the patient's blood count and make a treatment plan.

•	Filtering machine allows surgery patients use their own blood Detroit Free Press, Thursday, June 3, 2004 Byline: Megan Christensen, Free Press Staff Writer

	Story also ran in 1 others:  Houston Chronicle