Efficiency of autologous blood donation in combination with a cell saver in bilateral total knee arthroplasty.

The increased blood loss and resulting need for allogenic blood has been a major concern of one-stage bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA). One hundred eighteen consecutive patients donating either 2 units (87 patients) or 3 units (31 patients) of autologous blood prior to one-stage bilateral TKA were retrospectively evaluated to determine: (1) how many patients received allogenic transfusion; (2) what percentage of autologous blood was wasted; and (3) whether donating 2 or 3 units of autologous blood before surgery is more cost-effective. Fifteen patients in the 2-units donation group (17.2%) and one patient in the 3-units donation group (3.2%) required allogenic blood transfusions. In the 2-units group, 37.9% of the patients wasted 21.8% of predonated autologous blood, and in the 3-units group, 64.5% of the patients wasted 32.3% of predonated autologous blood. The estimated cost for patients donating 2 or 3 units of blood was $1,814.17 and $1,996.10, respectively. Donating 2 units of autologous blood is more cost-effective; however, patients donating 3 units of blood required less allogenic blood.