Avana Plastic Surgery offers intraoperative cell salvage, an autologous blood transfusion performed with a cell saver machine. This machine recovers blood lost during surgery, purifies it, and re-infuses it to the patient during surgery. Our board-certified plastic surgeons recommend a cell saver during any surgical procedure that may result in significant blood loss. Using a cell saver greatly benefits patients during their surgeries and recovery periods. Cell salvaging has been clinically proven to improve patient outcomes; it delivers considerable health advantages and costs less than other transfusion methods.
What Is Cell Salvaging?
Cell salvage is the process of collecting, filtering, and purifying autologous blood to restore to the patient during or after surgery. Although many blood transfusion options exist, recycling a patient's lost blood during surgery is medically proven to be better than using banked blood. Cell salvage is performed with a specialized cell saver machine that performs all the necessary transfusion steps. The cell saver replenishes patients' red blood cells to heal correctly after a plastic surgery procedure.
What Is A Cell Saver Machine?
A cell saver is a device used in surgery to collect the blood you lose, cleanse it, and return it to your body. During the operation, the cell saver is placed in the room and connected to the patients with thin medical tubes called "cannulas." These cannulas absorb the lost blood, rinse away the unwanted fat and tissue, and separate the red cells through centrifugation (intense spinning). The blood is then re-pumped into the body during the surgery or re-infused during recovery should the patient need it. The cell saver returns up to 80% of the red blood cells lost during your surgery.
Cell Saver Vs Banked Blood
You can use donated blood from a blood bank, but recycled blood from your body is much more reliable and effective. Research proves that your own cells are higher quality and more compatible with your body.
According to a report published in Anesthesia & Analgesia, researchers found that the more banked blood a patient received, the greater the rate of red cell damage. A study performed by Johns Hopkins, America's first research university, found that the cells of patients who received on their own recycled blood behaved normally immediately upon reinfusion—as if they had never been outside the body. The cells in the study group who received the greatest units of banked blood still had not recovered to their full function. As a result, patients have healthier blood when their own blood is recycled.
Candidates For Cell Saver at Avana Plastic Surgery
Patients with hemoglobin levels between 11.0 and 11.9 can qualify for a cell saver during surgery. Your board-certified plastic surgeon at Avana Plastic Surgery will advise if you are a candidate for cell salvaging before your procedure.