Thank Jehovah for bloodless transplants - www.6minutes.com.au

6 August 2007

Thank Jehovah for bloodless transplants

by Dr Kerri Parnell

Blood-sparing techniques used in two Jehovah’s Witnesses undergoing liver transplantation have the potential to benefit all patients having major surgery, experts say in today’s MJA.

Thought to be the first two successful liver transplants in Jehovah’s Witnesses in
Australasia, both patients refused red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma and platelets but
accepted blood fractions and recirculated autologous and cellsaved blood.

Preoperative erythropoietin was also used to boost preoperative haemoglobin levels,
and a low central venous pressure maintained during the procedures. Both patients
received recombinant clotting factors after surgery.

The patients were alive and well at three and four years, the authors say.

MJA 2007;187;188-9.