Cardiac and Coronary Surgery Techniques

Review finds cell salvage may not reduce total transfusions in spine surgery

Researchers combined results from 22 observational studies of 2,977 people undergoing spinal deformity surgery with or without intraoperative cell salvage, a process that collects and returns a patient’s own blood during surgery. Cell salvage was linked with a modest reduction in postoperative transfusion volume and higher hemoglobin on the first day after surgery, but it was not linked with lower total transfusion volume or fewer overall complications.