In the last two years we have performed intraoperative autotransfusion
by a cell-saving-system in 46 patients causing a 70%-reduction in the
need of homologous blood transfusion. 20% of these patients did not n
eed homologous blood at all. Besides minimizing transfusion-associated
risks, intraoperative autotransfusion had an evident cost-sparing eff
ect.