BLOOD-LOSS DURING RADICAL RETROPUBIC PROSTATECTOMY - IS PREOPERATIVE AUTOLOGOUS BLOOD DONATION INDICATED

Purpose: We assessed the requirement for transfusion of allogeneic blo od in a contemporary series of patients who did not deposit autologous blood before radical retropubic prostatectomy. Materials and Methods: After a policy was adopted in which preoperative autologous blood was not donated, 124 consecutive patients underwent radical retropubic pr ostatectomy. Type and screen for allogeneic blood were routinely avail able but neither hemodilation nor a cell saver was used. Results: Mean intraoperative blood loss was 579 cc and mean postoperative serum hem atocrit was 33%. Only 3 patients (2.4%) required blood products due to intraoperative blood loss (2) and postoperative bleeding from a duode nal ulcer (1). Conclusions: Transfusion of blood products was required in a small percentage of our patients even without autologous blood d onation. Therefore, the overall cost of care is decreased but, more im portantly, the potential risks associated with autologous or allogenei c blood transfusion are eliminated.