ACUTE NORMOVOLEMIC HEMODILUTION DOES NOT REDUCE THE INFLAMMATORY PROCESS-INDUCED BY FACIAL SURGERY

The place of preoperative acute normovolaemic haemodilution (haematocr it = 28%-32%) in reducing postoperative inflammation was evaluated aft er facial surgery. Thirty-two patients scheduled for mandibular osteot omy were randomized to a non-haemodiluted group or to a haemodiluted g roup. The degree of postoperative inflammation was evaluated first by an x-ray technique (radiotelemetry) providing measurements of the tiss ue thickness (quantitation of facial oedema), and second by the measur ement of four acute phase protein plasma concentrations airing the fir st postoperative week. Throughout the study no changes in facial oedem a or in variation of acute phase proteins were detected after haemodil ution. It is concluded that acute normovolaemic haemodilution has no e ffect on the intensity of facial oedema and the biological inflammatio n process after facial surgery.