Patients scheduled for surgery may be eligible to donate blood for themselves. This process is known as autologous blood donation. In the weeks before non-emergency surgery, an autologous donor may be able to donate blood that will be stored until the surgical procedure. The whole blood is normally separated into several components. Red Blood Cells can be stored under refrigeration for a maximum of 42 days, or they can be frozen for up to 10 years.
Red cells carry oxygen and are used to treat anemia.
The Platelets are important in the control of bleeding and are generally used in patients with leukemia and other forms of cancer. Platelets are stored at room temperature and may be kept for a maximum of five days. Fresh Frozen Plasma, used to control bleeding due to low levels of some clotting factors, is usually kept in the frozen state for up to one year. Cryoprecipitated AHF , which contains only a few specific clotting factors, is made from Fresh Frozen Plasma and may be stored frozen for up to one year. Granulocytes are sometimes used to fight infections, although their efficacy is not well-established.