The effect of preoperative donation of autologous blood on deep-vein thrombosis after total hip arthroplasty

We have assessed the effect of the donation of autologous blood and the pre operative level of haemoglobin on the prevalence of postoperative thromboem bolism in 2043 patients who had a total hip arthroplasty, The level of haem oglobin was determined seven to ten days before surgery and all patients ha d venography of the operated leg on the fifth postoperative day. The number of patients who had donated autologous blood (1037) was similar to that wh o had not (1006). A significant decrease in the incidence of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) was n oted in those who had donated blood preoperatively (9.0%) compared with tho se who had not (13.5%) (p = 0.003). For all patients, the lower the preoper ative level of haemoglobin the less likely it was that a postoperative DVT would develop. Of those who had donated blood, 0.3% developed a postoperative pulmonary em bolism compared with 0.7% in those who had not, but this difference was not statistically significant. No significant difference was found in the requ irements for transfusion between the two groups.