Blood transfusion in total hip replacement: is it always necessary?

Routine blood transfusion was prospectively withheld from 10 patients undergoing routine elective total hip arthroplasty who fulfilled specific criteria. A standard anaesthetic regimen was used. The mean perioperative fall in haemoglobin concentration was 1.9 g/dl, and only one patient required a postoperative blood transfusion. There were no postoperative complications. The need for routine peroperative blood transfusion of patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty is questioned.