Blood Shortages
Fall 2005
Blood banks around the country are continually
in need of donations, and are often challenged
by blood shortages at the most critical times.
In the past year, for instance, the American Red
Cross has experienced frequent and severe blood
shortages, with the lowest being a supply that
would only last six hours.
For patients concerned
with the nation’s blood supply, the Center
for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery at Pennsylvania
Hospital provides a safe and effective method
of treating patients without using whole blood
or blood products such as red cells, white cells,
platelets and plasma. This approach, which evolved
from patients and their families seeking medical
care without the use of blood transfusions, minimizes
the amount of blood lost before, during and after
treatment or surgery. The physicians and surgeons
skilled in this approach have been able to incorporate
it into their practice for all patients.
Choosing
bloodless medical or surgical treatment options
can be beneficial in many ways, including:
- Fewer complications related to transfusions
- Faster recovery time
- Shorter hospital stay
- Less chance of infection
- Faster healing time for wounds
The staff at the Center for Bloodless Medicine
and Surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital consists
of surgeons and specialists who are trained to
care for patients without the use of whole blood
or blood products. Both common and advanced procedures
are performed without the use of blood or blood
products, including:
- Aneurysm repairs
- Cancer treatment surgery
- Gall bladder surgery
- Gynecological and urological surgeries
- Heart bypass and valve replacement surgeries
- Hysterectomies
- Neurosurgery
- Normal or high-risk deliveries
- Open heart surgery
- Prostate removal
- Stem cell transplants
- Total hip and knee replacement
- Trauma injuries
- Vascular surgery
To find out if bloodless medicine or surgery
is right for you, or to schedule an appointment,
contact the Center for Bloodless Medicine and
Surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital by calling 1-800-789-PENN
(7366).
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