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  • Blood Loss Question

    Hi Everyone...is a lot of blood loss normal? I know Anne had a significant amount, but what is "normal" if there is such a thing...or how much loss did you have. Also, do we donate our own blood first? When does that happen? I'm sure I will find this out at my pre op 2/24 but am wondering now!

    Thanks!
    Laura
    62 degrees
    49 yrs. young
    Surgery 3/31/10 with Lenke

    Before and After pics
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/13749126@N06/

  • #2
    Laura, my doctor didn't ask me to donate, he uses blood bank blood for which I was grateful. Also cell saver, which is recycling the blood that you lose. I used several units on the day of surgery then a couple of days later, a couple more. I think it was 6 units all up but my memory is a little hazy. I will ask my partner when he comes home.
    Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
    Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
    T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
    Osteotomies and Laminectomies
    Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free

    Comment


    • #3
      I was advised to donate 3 units of my own blood....however I ended up needing to have 6 once all was said and done.....fun stuff!!
      Lynn -30.... something
      DxD @ 8 yrs old: 10* curve-no brace-no nothin'!
      At age 26: Thorasic 48*/Lumbar 50*
      At age 34: Thorasic 58*/Lumbar 60*
      Posterior T5-L4 Fusion Jan 14th, 2009 w/Dr Tribus
      UW Madison, WI Hospital
      **AFTER: less than 10* Thorasic/15* Lumbar**

      Comment


      • #4
        Hanson had me donate a pint. I got it back because my levels were *slightly* low 2 days after surgery - and I pitched a fit because if I didn't use it, it would be tossed (so it goes with autologous donations).

        Otherwise, I wouldn't have received blood post-op.

        I'm a big believer in blood bank supplies ... and made my mind up early on, if I needed more than 1, it was coming from there. I had tooooo much other pre-op crap to stress over to add in more trying to bank my own blood.

        And I don't care what I've read about donation stimulating hematopoiesis, it still always seems like the patient gets back what the doctor requested ... whether it's 1 pint or 6.

        Pam
        Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
        AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


        41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
        Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
        Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


        VIEW MY X-RAYS
        EMAIL ME

        Comment


        • #5
          My surgeon asked for 3 units if possible. I was only able to donate 2 due to my haemoglobin falling below the benchmark, therefore, i had 1 unit crossmatched. I lost 1 litre during surgery and had 300ml returned to me via Cellsaver. As i didn't require my blood urgently, they gave it back to me over the next 24 hours after surgery to perk me up. I'm guessing the crossmatched blood was returned to the blood bank.
          Vali
          44 years young! now 45
          Surgery - June 1st, 2009
          Dr David Hall - Adelaide Spine Clinic
          St. Andrews Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia
          Pre-op curve - 58 degree lumbar
          Post -op - 5 degrees
          T11 - S1 Posterior
          L4/5 - L5/S1 Anterior Fusion

          Comment


          • #6
            I lost a lot of blood during surgery - 2.5 litres. The normal blood volume for an adult I think is 0.75 x your weight. So I lost nearly half.

            I did not have to donate any blood as my surgeon collects any blood lost by the patient. The blood is then washed and spun and put back into your body. Unfortunately with this method there is substantial destruction of red blood cells so anemia sets in. But I bounced back quick.

            Before surgery my surgeon told me his patients usually only lose around 400-500mls of blood.
            45L/40T
            Surgery 25/1/2010
            Australia

            Knowthyself

            Scoliosis Corrected 25/1/2010 by Dr Angus Gray, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Sydney. Fused T3-L4.

            Comment


            • #7
              my doctor wanted 6 units to be donated. I donated 2 myself and family donated, for a total of 8 units. I had an anterior and posterior surgery and needed 6 units all together.

              Comment


              • #8
                I received 2 units from the cell saver and 2 units of bank blood the day after surgery. I also received another 2 units of bank blood the day after surgery number 2. So, 6 in all and I didn't donate my own blood because I came down with a nasty cold the day before I was scheduled to donate.
                Sally
                Diagnosed with severe lumbar scoliosis at age 65.
                Posterior Fusion L2-S1 on 12/4/2007. age 67
                Anterior Fusion L3-L4,L4-L5,L5-S1 on 12/19/2007
                Additional bone removed to decompress right side of L3-L4 & L4-L5 on 4/19/2010
                New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA
                Dr. Frank F. Rands735.photobucket.com/albums/ww360/butterflyfive/

                "In God We Trust" Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Wow! This is so interesting! Everybody seems different! I wonder why some drs. request you to donate and some don't. And why some lose so much blood and some don't. It's such a mystery. Is there any danger to not using your own blood and going through a bloodbank? I have never donated blood, and at this point don't even know my blood type. I would prefer to go Pam's route and not donate before...like you said, Pam...enough stuff to worry about!!!
                  Laura
                  62 degrees
                  49 yrs. young
                  Surgery 3/31/10 with Lenke

                  Before and After pics
                  http://www.flickr.com/photos/13749126@N06/

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Hi Laura,
                    Banked blood is quite safe. The bloodbanks have screening protocols to follow. Prior to donating, you have a blood test to make sure that everything is ok and that your healthy enough to donate. In my case, although i had been on iron tablets since the first donation, i was still unable to donate the third unit as my levels dropped below their benchmark. If youwant to go the bloodbank way, then i think you should. If you are in pain and have a little anxiety about the surgery, you definitely don't need this type of thing to worry about. Have a great day!
                    Vali
                    44 years young! now 45
                    Surgery - June 1st, 2009
                    Dr David Hall - Adelaide Spine Clinic
                    St. Andrews Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia
                    Pre-op curve - 58 degree lumbar
                    Post -op - 5 degrees
                    T11 - S1 Posterior
                    L4/5 - L5/S1 Anterior Fusion

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hi

                      I decided not to donate any of my own blood.I have no veins and it takes forever to find a vein

                      In the beginning , right after scheduling surgery, I was too upset and anxious to donate .

                      Then someone suggested some other threads about blood to read and on one of them, it stated that with small veins, I should not donate blood. But leave my veins for surgery

                      Melissa

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        We still don't know what caused my excessive blood loss, although Dr. Lonner said there was profuse bleeding from the first incision. Nothing showed up on any preliminary testing, have had surgery years ago--no problem. They did extensive testing afterwards and the hemotologist met with us and said nothing so far was out of the normal range. They did send some stuff out for more obscure testing. I did donate one unit prior to surgery--my time frame was so short, that's all I could donate. Over the last few years, I had been taking plenty of NSAID's but stopped those within a month of surgery. We still don't have a definitive answer but the bottom line is, Dr. Lonner was unable to finish the last rod and anchor. There's an outside chance we may get fusion there but it's more likely he'd have to go back in from the front and complete it. Makes me borderline suicidal just to think about having to do that so am blocking it out for now. We're going to see where we are at 3 months with x ray and Cat scan. I thought I was pretty well prepared for this but there was no way I could have handled another surgery during that same week--mentally or physically. Am just praying so hard that we don't have to operate again. This was more traumatic than I expected--it is wonderful to be home.


                        Anne in PA
                        Age 58
                        Diagnosed at age 14, untreated, no problem until age 50
                        T4 to sacrum fusion
                        63 thoracic now 35, 92 lumbar now 53
                        Dr. Baron Lonner, 2/2/10
                        Am pain-free, balanced, happy & an inch taller !

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I was told to donate my own blood a month before my operation. They wanted me to go in every other week to donate. I ended up finding out because I weigh less than 110lbs that I was unable to donate so my mom went in and donated for me at the hospital I was having my surgery. The first surgery I was given 6 units of blood while I was in the ICU. The second surgery I lost a lot of blood but they used the cell saver and was able to recycle my own blood and give it back.
                          I think if you have a long surgery for the most part you end up losing blood and they give you a blood transfusion. My operations were both around 10hrs long so it was pretty intense in there.

                          Hope I was able to give you some kinda help o_0

                          megz

                          27 year old female
                          Upper Curve 110 degrees
                          Lower Curve 90 degrees
                          Surgery with Dr. Wood at MGH 1/11/10 && 1/14/10
                          Fused T2-Pelvis
                          Back looks amazing and no more Hump! ^_^

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            "My operations were both around 10hrs long so it was pretty intense in there."

                            And look at you now, you amazing person!
                            Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
                            Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
                            T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
                            Osteotomies and Laminectomies
                            Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free

                            Comment

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