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Urology Intranet

Donating Blood
What you should know

Although you have the right to refuse a blood transfusion, this decision may hold life-threatening consequences. If you are not opposed to blood transfusions for religious or other reasons, please carefully review this information and talk with your doctor about which option(s) you prefer.

Your options may be limited by time and health factors, so it is important to begin carrying out your decision as soon as possible.

 AUTOLOGOUS BLOOD Donation - Using Your Own Blood

The following methods of using your own blood can be used independently or together to eliminate or minimize the need for donor blood, as well as virtually eliminate transfusion risks of infection and
allergic reaction.

Pre-operative donation - Donating your own blood before surgery. The Blood Bank draws your blood and stores it until you need it, during or after surgery. (For elective surgery only)
Advantages: Eliminates or minimizes the need for someone else's blood during and after surgery.
Disadvantages: Requires advance planning. May delay surgery. Medical conditions may prevent preoperative donation.

Intra-operative autologus transfusion - Recycling your blood during surgery. Instead of being discarded, blood lost during surgery is filtered, and put back into your body during surgery. (For elective and emergency surgery)

  • Advantages: Eliminates or minimizes the need for someone else's blood during surgery. Large amounts of blood can be recycled.
  • Disadvantages: Not for use if cancer or infection is present.

Post-operative autologus transfusion - Recycling your blood after surgery. Blood lost after surgery is collected, filtered and returned. (For elective and emergency surgery)

  • Advantages: Eliminates or minimizes the need for someone else's blood after surgery.
  • Disadvantages: Not for use if cancer or infection is present.

Hemodilution - Donating your own blood during surgery. Immediately before surgery, some of your blood is taken and replaced with I.V. fluids. After surgery, your blood is filtered and returned to you. (For elective surgery)

  • Advantages: Eliminates or minimizes the need for someone else's blood during and after surgery. Dilutes your blood so you lose less concentrated blood during surgery.
  • Disadvantages: Limited number or units can be drawn. Medical conditions may prevent hemodilution.

Apheresis - Donating your own platelets and plasma. Before surgery, your platelets and plasma--which help stop bleeding--are withdrawn, filtered, and returned to you when you need it. (For elective surgery)

  • Advantages: May eliminate the need for donor platelets and plasma, especially in high blood-loss procedures.
  • Disadvantages: Medical conditions may prevent apheresis. Procedure has limited application.

In some cases, you may require more blood than anticipated. If this happens and you receive blood other than your own, there is a possiblity of complications, such as hepititis or AIDS.

 DONOR BLOOD - Using Someone Else's Blood

Donor blood and blood products can never be absolutely 100% safe, even though testing makes the risk very small.

Volunteer Blood - From the community blood supply. Blood and blood products donated by volunteer donors to a community blood bank.

  • Advantages: Readily available. Can be life-saving when your own blood is not available.
  • Disadvantages: Risk of disease transmission (such as hepititis or AIDS), and allergic reactions.

Note: You may wish to check whether donors are paid or volunteer, since blood from commercial (paid) donors may not, in some cases, be as safe as blood from volunteers.

Designated donor blood - From donors you select. Blood and blood donors you select who must meet the same requirements as volunteer donors.

  • Advantages: You can select people with your own blood type who you feel are safe donors.
  • Disadvantages: Risk of disease transmission (such as hepatitis or AIDS), and allergic reactions. May require several days of advanced donation. Not necessarily as safe, nor safer, than volunteer donors.

Note: Care should be taken in selecting donors. Donors should never be pressured into donating. Donations from certain family members may require irradiation of blood.

  This information was developed by:
California Department of
Health Services
714/744 P Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Kenneth W. Kizer, M.D., M.P.H., Director
For information about these contents, please call:
(916)445-1248