Surgeons are reluctant to order allogeneic blood products to be transfused to their patients.
There is also growing evidence that transfusion of allogeneic blood products may be a cause of immunologic insult to the patient and which may impair healing and prolong hospital stay. Recent development in applications of the technology in recovering surgical shed blood has facilitated efficient blood component sequestration from patients in the operating room prior to surgery. Several units of packed red blood cells, a plateletpheresis product and fresh plasma may efficiently be sequestered in a matter of fifty minutes. During the ensuing surgery, anticoagulated blood may be recovered from the surgical site, concentrated, washed, and returned to patient. Following the end of surgery and assurance of hemostasis, the sequestered platelets, plasma, and red cells may be returned to the patient.