Questions about Autologous blood donation

[Lorz]

I got the letter from my surgeon's office, saying it is time to set up my blood donations. I am supposed to donate 3 units, starting 34 days prior to surgery. I am having a difficult time finding a center that does this, close to where I live in PA. Also, I have been quoted fees from $148 per unit, to $500 per unit, for them to draw, process, and ship the blood. I am wondering, do most surgeons ask their pts. to do this? And, for those of you who did, how did you feel afterwards. Normally, a person can donate only once every 56 days, but we are to donate 3 times in 34 days. I realize, we will be getting the blood back again, but doesn't it make you feel more fatigued, going in to sugery? Those of you in eastern PA, western NJ, where did you go to donate? And, for those who received donor blood, any problems with insurance paying for it? Sorry for all the questions, I am feeling rather perplexed!!

[backissues]

My surgeon suggested that donating my own blood would weaken me for surgery. I had 4 pints of blood from the blood bank during surgery and one pint after surgery of frozen plasma (I think that's what the fifth pint was.) My insurance took care of paying for the blood.
Luckily, I had no problem with the donated blood.

[Snoopy]

I'm not sure exactly where you are located, but I took my daughter to Hershey Medical Center in Hershey PA for her blood donations which is where her surgery was done. Not sure if they will do what you need them to do, but I would think since it is one of the bigger hospitals in the area, they might be able to help or at least recommend a facility that can help.

Have you contacted the blood donor center nearest you? They might also be able to recommend a facility to you if they don't do it themselves.

Mary Lou

[LindaRacine]

Hi...

I work at UCSF where dozens of scoliosis surgeries are done every week. Our surgeons have stopped asking for autologous blood donations.

By the way, I'm guessing that the "every 56 days" thing is probably for donation of blood in the general population. For my first surgeries, 19 years ago, I donated 7 units over 7 weeks.

Regards,
Linda

[Singer]

Lori, I donated one pint at a Red Cross center in West Chester (right off Rte. 202). I felt really wiped out afterward and told Lindy I wouldn't be donating any more. As it turns out, I didn't need additional blood anyway, but if I had needed more, I would have been perfectly fine with donor blood. It's very safe these days. I can't quite remember the insurance end of things with this -- I have to check my records.

[golfnut]

Dr. Lenke did not want me to donate my own blood and he also felt the blood bank was safe. I intend to donate blood when I'm a year post-op because I'm very grateful to have blood from the blood bank.

[leahdragonfly]

Hi Golfnut,

I love hearing of your generous expression of gratitude! I wonder if there are restrictions on donating blood in someone who has had prior transfusions? I think there used to be, but I am not sure now.

My surgeon also does not allow his patients to pre-donate blood. He feels it weakens them and potentially increases the risk of infection. I had an 8-hour surgery and received 4 units of blood-bank blood during surgery. I needed two more units a few days later as I was quite anemic (Hgb 7), so I had a total of 6 units.

My surgeon feels that the blood bank blood is very safe. I was not sorry that I couldn't donate my own blood.

[Lilysaidwhat]

I pre-donated 2 pints at the apheresis center at the hospital where my surgery was done. I lost 6 during the surgery and ended up getting my 2 back during, then another 3 from donors.

I donated both pints in 6 days and felt slightly weak but not badly.

[Susie*Bee]

I donated 4 pints in a little over 3 weeks. It didn't really make me feel weak. The tricky part was trying to keep my hematocrit high enough so I could keep donating. I did use all 4 units, plus all the cell saver blood from the surgery. I donated through the red cross blood donation center, which was about an hour's drive away for me. There was no charge. They had it delivered to the hospital, another hour or so away.

[Lorz]

Thank you everyone, for all of your replies.
Susie Bee- it is interesting that you did not have to pay a fee. It was the American Red Cross center closest to me (1 1/2 hrs away) that quoted the $500 fee!
I only donated blood once, and felt so horrible after, I have avoided it since. It sounds like it is not a requirement to do so, so I think I will have my husband donate for me, and leave it at that. I am not concerned about the safety of donor blood. I was just hoping to avoid any possibility of autoimmune responses to weird antibodies some people have. Its good to know none of you had any problems!!
Linda- 7 units in 7 weeks?! Wow, you are tough!

[Susie*Bee]

Lori-- that is totally weird that they would charge you, and there was no charge for me. I don't get it at all. Why would there be a charge??? And $500 seems ridiculously high. My American Red Cross location was in Merrillville, IN and then the blood was sent to Chicago, IL, where my surgery was. Merrillville is almost to the IL line...

[jeneemohler]

I say just do what you want. The doctors are split on this one, too. No one will judge you if you decide one way or another. I almost didn't do it, either. Go with your gut. In the overall picture, this is a small thing, so don't sweat the little stuff!

I donated one unit, and felt fine. I took plenty of iron before and after, and had no problems with my hematocrit. I was a little nervous about doing it, and being tired, but they told me how fast our bodies replace it. The fluid is replaced in several hours, the actual blood was just days, but I can't remember how many.... But it was amazing. I was nervous about doing it, and also nervous about NOT doing it. With some of the things not showing up in blood for some time after exposure, who knows?? But that was my fertile/analytical imagination gone wild....
I also had it done at Red Cross. They told me it was going to be $500 before I went in. They didn't charge me at the donation site, nor directly, but it shows up on my hospital bill at 500 bucks. Maybe they process it, then charge the hospital it goes to, then pass it on to you?? I'm not sure. I was on the cell saver unit, and only used my one unit, no other blood. So the charge isn't for blood bank blood. And it was for the quoted $500...

Good Luck!

[peachrush7]

My doctor asked me if I wanted to, but I decided not to do it. He said he thinks for most people it ends up being a wash because you go in low, and end up needing more than you donated. Since I went in full, I only needed 2 pints a day after the surgery.

But he would have had me do it if I wanted to, so I think it's entirely up to us these days to decide for ourselves.

Best wishes!

[TiffanyK]

Is it common to receive blood from this surgery? It seems like everyone has received some, but I never did. My surgeon said I lost a liter of blood... and from the help of a conversion chart it came out to a little over 2 pints. No where in the surgery report does it mention that I received any blood.

[Lorz]

Susie- I think the cost differs from region to region. I was told it was $450 for processing the blood, and $50 for shipping.

Tiffany- I just asked Dr. Boachie what the average blood loss with this type of sugery is, and he said 500-1500cc. Some people can tolerate a loss of 1000cc, and not need blood. You were one of the lucky ones!