Southside Hospital's Center for Bloodless Medicine & Surgery has three blood-saving components. Each is essential for a true bloodless medicine and surgery program.

Healthy blood

For planned surgery, patients need to be in the best possible health, nutritionally sound, and with a strong and healthy blood supply. Before surgery, patients build up their blood with a good diet, iron supplements, multivitamins and medications such as erythropoietin to increase the number of oxygen-carrying blood cells.

Blood conservation

When blood tests are needed, the laboratory uses microsampling procedures, taking about 5 percent of the blood usually removed for tests. Surgeons use blood-saving techniques and equipment such as coagulating and harmonic scalpels to cauterize blood vessels during surgery to lessen blood loss; cryosurgery procedures which chills tissue to limit blood loss; and vasopressor medicines, which constrict blood vessels to reduce blood loss. Anesthesiologists can lower body temperature and reduce blood pressure to diminish blood loss; and dilute blood so fewer blood cells are lost.

Blood return

Finally, the patient's own blood is washed, purified, and returned to patients. A special continuous and closed intravenous circuitry is used for persons with special restrictions.