Blood transfusions
At the Urological Clinic Munich-Planegg, we maintain a strict attitude to indications for a blood transfusion. Its use essentially depends on the current haemoglobin level, pre-existing conditions, and the level of intraoperative blood loss.
Anaemia is a serious risk factor with regard to increased hospital mortality and various health-related complications. The aim of our patient blood management concept is to conduct optimum patient preparation prior to surgery so as to build up the patient’s own blood reserves. We use the latest methods to protect the blood intraoperatively and make sole use of it wherever possible.
Specifically, our clinic ascertains whether the patient already has an anaemic condition prior to commencing the operation, and if so, whether it can be treated. A common cause of anaemia, is, for instance, iron deficiency. In this case, a dose of iron give prior to the operation enables the body to produce more blood of its own and to reinforce the internal blood resources before the operation commences.
Another factor of equal importance to prevention and the efficient treatment of perioperative bleeding is to ensure appropriate and thorough clotting management. Moreover, a constant effort is made over the course of the operation to keep blood loss to a minimum.
In this context, it should not be forgotten that blood transfusions frequently save lives and so it is impossible to fully dispense with the use of such procedures.
Thanks to the strict guidelines in force nowadays to control the creation and administration of blood products, the risks associated with blood transfusions are, however, far smaller than they used to be.
