Objectives: To determine if cell-salvaged autologous blood can serve as an alternative to homologous blood, and to examine the incidence of infected complications and length of postoperative stay.
Design: A prospective randomised study comprising autologous and homologous blood transfusions in patients undergoing elective infrarenal abdominal aortic surgery.
Methods: Fifty patients undergoing AAA surgery were prospectively randomised to homologous blood (n = 27), or autologous blood transfusion (n = 23), using a cell salvage autotransfusion device.
Results: The haemoglobin at the time of hospital discharge was similar for both groups (11.0 vs. 10.8 g/dl) with no difference in perioperative mortality. The length of stay was reduced in those patients who received autologous blood (9 days vs. 12 days, p < 0.05 Mann-Whitney U test). There were four infected cases in the autologous group and 12 in the homologous group (p = n.s., Fisher's exact probability test). However, patients who received 3-4 units of homologous blood had an increased risk of infection compared to those who received a similar amount of autologous blood (50% vs. 0%).
Conclusions: Cell salvage autologous blood can safely replace, or at least decrease, exposure to homologous blood transfusion, with a reduction in the mean hospital stay.