Elective plastic surgery in a Jehovah's witness: A case series and review of the literature

"Bloodless" plastic surgery in the Jehovah's Witness patient is an area tha t has received little attention in the surgical literature. Given the uniqu e and firmly held beliefs of this group of patients, caring for them can be particularly challenging for the plastic surgeon. The authors report a cas e of bilateral breast reconstruction with saline-filled implants complicate d by a postoperative hematoma and one involving a staged approach to massiv e breast reduction, both in Jehovah's Witness patients. A third patient inv olving a staged panniculectomy for a complicated wound infection is also de scribed. The historical background, philosophical views, ethical issues, le gal aspects, surgical outcomes, and management techniques relevant to carin g for this unique patient population are also reviewed in detail.