Urology
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A total of 20 patients underwent major urologic cancer surgery with the combined use of predeposit autologous blood and intraoperative autotransfusion with the Haemonetics Cell Saver. The estimated blood loss ranged from 400 to 2,000 mL (mean 1,208 mL). Total transfusion requirements for the 20 patients were 85.5 units of which 82.5 (96%) were autologous. ⋯ Of the 20 patients in the study, only 1 received homologous blood. There were no complications related to either modality of autotransfusion. Our data suggest that using the combined modalities of predeposit autologous blood donation and intraoperative autotransfusion, major urologic cancer surgery can be performed without homologous blood in most cases.