• A M Safwat, J A Reitan, and D Benson.
• Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento 95817, USA.
• J Clin Anesth. 1997 Sep 1;9(6):510-3.

AbstractFour patients whose religious beliefs prohibited accepting blood during surgery for scoliosis were anesthetized and managed successfully using plateletpheresis and plasmapheresis. Blood losses were replaced with crystalloid and hetastarch solutions. In addition, a moderate hypotensive technique was used to minimize surgical blood loss. Postoperatively, the patients received iron therapy and/or erythropoietin. Three of these patients had an uncomplicated postoperative course, however, the fourth patient had some postoperative bleeding with initial hemodynamic instability. We believe that patients who refuse to receive blood transfusion during surgery because of religious beliefs or health issues can be managed safely using other alternatives and techniques such as plateletpheresis and plasmapheresis, which conserve and minimize blood loss. Each case should be assessed on an individual basis.

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