"QUOTES"
Children
"The latest beneficiary of the bloodless technique is 7-month-old Aiden Michael Rush, who is recovering in Los Angeles after a liver transplant."
CBS News Feb. 23, 2001
"Because of consistent success and the fact that blood transfusion carries a risk of serious complications, we are currently performing most of our pediatric cardiac operations without transfusion."
Circulation, September 1984
"Many infants seem to tolerate remarkably low levels of haemoglobin concentration with no apparent clinical difficulties."
Dr. James A. Stockman III, Pediatric Clinics of North America, February 1986.
"Red blood cell and blood product transfusion in the fetus, neonate, and premature infant are often administered with poorly defined indications and unintentional adverse consequences."
NL Luban, Current Opinion in Hematology. 2002 Nov;9(6):533-6
"Forty-eight hours after red blood cell transfusion to premature infants, there is an absolute decrease in red blood cell precursors, immature white blood cells and platelets."
B Frey, (abstract) Journal of Pedeatrics and Child Health 2002 Jun;38(3):265-7
"In a way, children are better risks than adults when it comes to bloodless surgery. They have no heart disease, no arteriosclerosis, and they bounce back faster."
Dr. Francisca Velcek, Chief Of Pediatric Surgery, Long Island College Hospital
"A total of 51,720 (4.8%) pediatric patients received blood product transfusions during the study period. … Resource use in terms of length of stay and costs were higher in patients who received transfusion."
A.D.Slonim et al Transfusion (Abstract). 2008 Jan;48(1):73-80. Epub 2007 Sep 24.
"Open heart surgery was achieved without blood transfusion in the selected group of small children."
Makoto Ando, MD et al, Annals of Thoracic Surgery 2004;78:1717-1722
"We report the safe repair of complex open-heart surgery in children, without blood transfusion, even in small infants."
Perfusion, Vol. 9, No. 4, 257-263 (1994)
"The latest beneficiary of the bloodless technique is 7-month-old Aiden Michael Rush, who is recovering in Los Angeles after a liver transplant."
CBS News Feb. 23, 2001
Synthetic Blood Substitutes
Scientists dream of a human blood substitute – something that can be given to a patient that needs a blood transfusion but that does not carry the risks of blood. Can human blood be duplicated?
More Than Just a Cooperative Surgeon Is Needed 
A complete Bloodless Program requires more than just a cooperative surgeon in the treatment of a Bloodless Patient. Before the surgeon performs the operation special preparation of the Bloodless Patient is needed.
Bloodless Surgery and Medicine Programs – a description
A Bloodless Surgery and Medicine Program generally refers to a surgical program in a hospital where homologous blood transfusions (blood from another patient) are carefully and intentionally avoided in order to fulfill a patient’s desire to avoid receiving a blood transfusion. These programs are expansive, detailed and complex and all of the techniques used have to meet the highest standards possible.
Transfusion Alternatives in Bloodless Surgery
Questions about the safety of the blood supply still persist and more patients than ever are asking if there are safe alternatives to human blood. The list of alternatives is longer than many believe and they available now.
Is Blood Bad for Women ?
Both post-surgical mortality and in hospital deaths are significantly higher for women than for men. Women are transfused more often than men. Is there a link?
Can Infants and Small Children Have Bloodless Surgery ?
Tiny tots and small children have had liver transplants, abdominal, cranial and other surgeries performed without a single drop of blood being transfused.
Is Bloodless Surgery an Option for the Elderly ?
Ask 89 year old Iris. She has had both knees and a hip replaced, a tumor removed from her heart, and more. She survived 5 Bloodless Surgeries and can tell her grandkids she has no worries about AIDS, Hepatitis C or any other blood borne disease.
Robyn Tharson
RNC, BSN
Coordinator - University Center for Bloodless Surgery and Medicine
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Simon Temple
Perfusionist
Brook Haven Medical Hospital
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