Be Your Own Blood Donor

(Autologous Blood Transfusions)

Autologous Blood Transfusions?

Corning Hospital offers autologous blood transfusions. What does this mean to you?

If you are scheduled for surgery and are in need of a blood transfusion during or after an operation, you may be able to donate your own blood. The process must be initiated a few weeks prior to surgery.

Benefits

Autologous blood transfusion eliminates the risk of a transmissible disease, as well as rejection or reaction to a blood transfusion, since the blood is your own.

Considerations

Sometimes anemia develops after a blood donation. That's why it is so important to take the iron supplements prescribed by your physician prior to and during the donation process.

A needle is inserted into a vein to obtain the blood.

There is a fee to cover the cost of this service, whether or not the blood is used.

Who Qualifies?

If you are reasonably healthy, are not anemic, and are not on antibiotic treatment, you should be eligible to be your own donor. This option is available only for planned, scheduled surgery, when there is a high chance of needing a blood transfusion before, during or after the operation.

If you think that you would benefit from this program, please discuss it with your physician. It is necessary that your medical condition be fully evaluated prior to entering the program. Written permission from your doctor is required. The physician will arrange your appointment with Corning Hospital and then notify you. These appointments will be started a few weeks before the scheduled surgery.

What Are The Risks To You?

There is a chance that multiple blood donations may make you mildly anemic.

Also, there is a possibility that after the donation, you will feel faint, weak, giddy, light-headed or dizzy. We recommend that you have someone accompany you on donation days.

Are There Any Special Preparations?

Your doctor will order an iron supplement to be taken by mouth. Begin taking the prescription immediately, and continue until you are admitted to the hospital. Iron supplements can cause gastric upset and constipation. Take iron with meals and be sure to drink plenty of fluids and include fiber in your diet. Remember iron may cause your stool to be black.

We recommend that you have a light meal two (2) hours prior to each donation.

What Happens On Donation Day?

Upon arrival at Corning Hospital, report directly to the Laboratory. Blood tests will be done to tell us if you are anemic. (If you are anemic or should become anemic, the donation will be postponed.)

The blood test takes only a few minutes. You will be asked to fill out consent and identification forms prior to the actual donation. Also, during your time here, a laboratory physician will interview you concerning your health on donation day.

In the donor room, a blood bank medical technologist greets you and takes your temperature, pulse and blood pressure. Also a brief medical history is taken.

You are now ready to donate your own blood. You will lie down on a comfortable bed during the procedure.

After the donation is completed, your blood pressure and pulse are taken again. You can rest for a while and have some refreshments, because you must stay until you and the blood bank technologist feel that you are ready to leave for home. The time spent in the donation room is usually one hour. Plan to be at the hospital on each donation day for approximately 1 1/2 hours.

At each donation, you will sign a green identification card. Without these cards, your blood cannot be released by the laboratory.

What Happens To The Blood I Donate?

If you do not require all the blood that you have donated, your blood will be kept for you until it can no longer be safely used, then it will be discarded.

Instructions

After the donation, you must drink plenty of fluids to restore your body fluids to their normal level. A well balanced diet must be maintained to replenish your blood cells. Do not skip meals.

The arm for donation must be kept dry and should not be used for lifting, pulling and carrying. Also, avoid strenuous physical activity for the remainder of the day.

If the donation site should begin to bleed, after you leave the hospital, put pressure directly on the bleeding area with a clean, dry compress and apply ice. Do not apply heat.

Take your iron supplement as ordered.

Refrain from smoking and alcohol consumption until after your next meal.

If you should feel faint or dizzy, lie down or sit down with your head between your knees. If this feeling persists, call your physician.

Remember, the green identification cards that you receive at each donation must be presented to the admitting clerk the day that you are admitted for your surgery at Corning Hospital. Without these cards, your blood won't be released by the laboratory.

Health Education Index