Optimal blood use in genitourinary surgery.

The most commonly performed urologic surgical procedure is transurethral resection of the prostate. We reviewed the crossmatching and transfusion records of 226 patients who had undergone transurethral prostatectomy at our hospital from 1977 through 1979. Only 13 patients (5.8 per cent) received a transfusion. The crossmatched-to-transfused ratio was 21.5. Preoperative ABO-Rh typing and antibody screen are safe and cost-effective alternatives to preoperative crossmatching of blood for uncomplicated transurethral prostatectomy.