Are they alternatives to homologous transfusion?
We prospectively randomised 104 consecutive patients undergoing primary cemented total knee arthroplasty into two groups of 52 patients each, with one group to receive a standard suction drain (Redivac) and the other, an autologous transfusion drain (Bellovac). Randomisation was achieved using the software programme MINIM: , which was set to randomly allocate patients to either of the two groups based on their age, sex and body mass index (BMI). All procedures were performed under pneumatic tourniquet. Drains were released in the recovery room 20 min after surgery and removed 24 h following surgery. Blood collected in the standard suction drain (control group) was discarded, while blood collected in the autologous transfusion drains (study group) was transfused unwashed back to the patient within 6 h of collection. Thirteen patients (25%) in the study group had two or more units of homologous blood transfused in addition to the blood collected postoperatively and re-transfused (average
