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How can a person's own blood be collected and used during surgery to avoid some transfusion risks?

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Close-up illustration of multiple human red blood cells with their characteristic disc shape, floating against a red background. — blood group The major component of human blood is the red blood cell.

To avoid risks associated with donor blood, such as transfusion reactions or the transmission of diseases, patients can utilize autologous transfusion, which is the reinfusion of one's own blood.1

There are two primary methods for collecting a patient's own blood for surgical use:

Preoperative Donation: Blood is collected from the patient before the scheduled surgery. This process can begin up to one month in advance and may be repeated weekly, depending on the number of units required for the procedure.1
Intraoperative Blood Salvage: During surgery, a specialized device recovers blood shed by the patient. This blood is then anticoagulated, centrifuged to concentrate the red blood cells, and washed in a sterile bowl. The resulting salvaged blood can be rapidly infused back into the patient during the operation.1

Using autologous blood components is a medically sound practice that helps minimize unnecessary transfusions and reduces the risk of immune-related complications.2