How does autologous transfusion use a patient’s own blood?

Autologous transfusion is the process of reinfusing a patient’s own blood, which helps avoid transfusion reactions and the transmission of diseases associated with donor blood. This procedure is typically managed in two ways:12

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

By utilizing a patient's own blood components when appropriate, medical professionals can reduce the risks associated with allogeneic (donor) transfusions, such as immune suppression or adverse reactions to donor proteins and cells.2