Do you suffer from hemophobia? It means fear of blood. The term (sometimes called hematophobia) describes a condition that causes near-panic symptoms at the sight – or merely the thought – of blood.

But you need not be hemophobic to have questions about blood if you are having major surgery. Transfusions are sometimes used during and after surgeries to replace blood lost during the procedure.

Joint Replacement: Understanding Your Blood Transfusion Options
Blood transfusions are sometimes used to restore blood volume after joint replacement. There are several options available for your blood transfusion. Patients can choose to receive their own previously-donated blood, or blood from another donor.

• Using your own blood: Autologous blood donation. Patients preparing for joint replacement surgery can donate and store their own blood in advance. This stored blood will be used if a blood transfusion is necessary during their joint replacement operation.
  
  Patients must begin to store their blood approximately six weeks before their joint replacement. The donations should be scheduled a week apart, ending no sooner than seven days prior to their surgery. Patients typically will need 1-3 units of blood.  There is no age or weight requirement for donating your own blood, according to the American Red Cross. However, certain medical conditions, including heart problems or anemia, will prevent you from donating your own blood. 

• Using a friend’s blood: Directed blood donation. Patients may choose a friend or family member with a compatible blood type to donate blood for them. According to the American Red Cross, a directed donor must be 17 years old and must weigh more than 110 pounds.  There is an extensive questionnaire and several additional qualifications the donor needs to meet.  Many people believe this to be safer than a volunteer donation. However, there is no evidence a directed blood donation is any safer.

• Volunteer blood donation. This is a blood donation made by someone from the general public who has a blood type compatible with the patient’s. The qualifications are identical to those of a directed blood donor. Donors must answer extensive questionnaires, and their blood is thoroughly tested. There are several layers of safety that help protect the blood supply.  These include self-exclusion by the donor, pre-check, completion of the blood donation record, health history screening, confidential unit exclusion, testing and post-donation information. These multiple layers of safety demonstrate the robust systems in place.

Autologous Blood Transfusion

Many major operations result in the need for a blood transfusion, either during or shortly following surgery. Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. A blood transfusion is usually given to increase the number of blood cells that are available to carry oxygen.

Young people who are healthy can tolerate a much lower red blood cell count than older individuals. If you have heart disease, you may not tolerate a low blood count very well.

In the past, blood transfusions were usually given by using blood that had been donated by someone else and stored in a blood bank. Recently, it has become much more common for those people undergoing elective surgery to store their own blood before surgery. This reduces the risk of having an allergic reaction when receiving a blood transfusion and reduces the risk of getting an infection, such as AIDS or Hepatitis, from the blood transfusion. Another benefit to storing your own blood is that it frees the increasingly small blood supply to be used in true emergencies; when those who don't have the luxury of planning ahead may need it desperately.