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My interest in developing bloodless heart surgery techniques bloomed early in my professional career. I have always been interested in offering my patients the best low-impact, minimally invasive heart surgery available for their heart disease. The adoption of no blood heart surgery techniques is an important aspect of my care. I started to employ these techniques in the late 90's to comply with the religious beliefs of the Jehovah's Witness congregations first in Pittsburgh and in New York City and now in my specialized referral center in Ohio. I currently see a growing number of patients from out of state who specifically travel to my center to undergo bloodless heart surgery procedures that were not otherwise available in their town or state. First, let me spend a few words for those of you who are not familiar with the beliefs of the Jehovah's Witness community about blood transfusions. Witnesses embrace and are comfortable with all aspects of modern medicine but their refusal to receive a blood transfusion is not negotiable. Sometimes a finer distinction is made between refusing Packed Red Blood Cells and accepting some of the other blood fractions (i.e.: Fresh Frozen Plasma, Platelets, Cryoprecipitate) on an individual basis. The aversion to receive blood transfusions stems from the interpretation of a specific passage in the Bible that states "Thou shalt not eat blood" and the spiritual ramifications of the disregard of this rule. I have treated hundreds of observant Jehovah's witnesses who would rather die or suffer untoward consequences than break their religious rules. As a treating physician and a fellow human being I have learned to respect their strong faith while offering a safe treatment of their heart disease. Over the years I have developed very effective clinical strategies and routines that have made bloodless heart surgery a reality for most of my patients. Bloodless heart surgery care is an increasingly popular choice for all patients that need surgery in a growing number of medical institutions. It is interesting to note that more and more patients are becoming interested in bloodless heart surgery, regardless of their religious beliefs. It turns out that avoiding the transfusion of blood products has significant clinical benefits related to:
In the late 90's a sizeable number of patients were not choosing bloodless heart surgery for religious reasons. They were more concerned with the potential risk of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other still unknown blood-borne viruses. The screening methods employed routinely by all blood banks have greatly reduced this risk to negligible levels but it is still a concern for many patients.
Another concern is the fact that a transfusion has profound effects on our body and its modulation of our immune system. These effects can manifest themselves as severe allergic reactions. Whether you receive your own blood or blood from an unrelated donor, the risk of an allergic reaction is the same. An allergic reaction can in fact occur if a patient is sensitive to the additives and preservatives used when storing his own blood donated before surgery. Inflammatory responses are also seen in patients after a transfusion with accumulation of inflammatory fluids in various organs (lungs, kidneys, muscles) and soft tissues that effectively slow down the recovery period after open heart surgery. Many patients simply don't like the idea to receive blood products "from other people".
READ MY PATIENTS' COMMENTS ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH BLOODLESS HEART SURGERY The science behind no blood heart surgery has made impressive progress over the last decade and it is now possible to offer this option routinely in most patients. The first step is the preparation before surgery:
Second step. During surgery a variety of blood sparing techniques and technologies are employed and modified to respect patient's beliefs or preferences:
 1) A surgical gauze sponge is first rinsed in a bowl with sterile saline solution  2) As you can see, a fair amount of blood is now in the saline solution  3) The scrub nurse wrings out the gauze sponge  4) The blood and saline solution are suctioned into the cell saver where the red blood cells are washed, spun and returned to the patient in real time
READ MY PATIENTS' COMMENTS ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH BLOODLESS HEART SURGERY Knowing more about bloodless cardiac surgery alternatives will enable you to make informed treatment decisions about your care and will encourage you to discuss all available care options with your doctor. Searching for all the right information will help you get the best results in heart surgery
CONTACT DR. CIUFFO FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BLOODLESS SURGERY  More Articles by Dr. Ciuffo Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Last webpage update: September 7, 2011 |  |
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