The clinico-statistical observation on autologous blood transfusion for orthognathic surgery

We made a retrospective study on the usefulness of autologous blood transfusion conducted by using stored autologous blood with or without blood dilution in orthognathic surgery. Ninety-six patients had received autotransfusion in our department from 1985 through 1991.Their mean age was 19.8 years.Females predominated over males in the ratio of about three to one.The main disorder of the patients was prognathism (90cases);the major method of operation was a sagittal splitting ramus osteotomy.The average volume of autologous blood donation was 525.1ml, and 72% of blood loss was covered by autologous blood transfusion.Hematologically postoperative anemia of the patients was recovered with autotransfusion, and serum erythropoietin levels in autologous donors increased significantly (P<0.05).No complications were observed and clinical courses of all cases were satisfactory.The above results indicate that autologous blood transfusion is quite safe and can be recommended for use in orthognathic surgery.