Anemia & Surgery – What’s the Connection?

Why is blood important?

Blood is vital to life. Your red blood cells carry oxygen to the tissues and take away carbon dioxide. White blood cells help fight infection. Platelets help form clots to stop bleeding. And plasma is the yellowish liquid in which blood cells float around. It helps maintain your blood pressure. If you lose too much blood during surgery, you many not have enough of these cells to keep you alive and healthy.

What is Anemia?

Red blood cells contain an iron-rich protein called hemoglobin, and it is the hemoglobin that carries the oxygen from your lungs to your tissues and cells, When there are not enough red blood cells, you have less hemoglobin to carry oxygen through out your body, This condition is called anemia. As a result, your body, organs and tissues do not get enough oxygen to do their work this can leave you feeling very tired, weak, short of breath, or dizzy.

Why is Anemia Important To You?

Anemia can affect how you respond to your surgery and how quickly you return to health. Anemia, if not properly treated, can also affect the functioning of your heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain. In addition, patients who are anemic prior to surgery are more likely to require a blood transfusion if they lose blood during surgery.

What Is Hemoglobin (Hb)?

Hb stands for hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells (RBCs), which are the cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body.

A low level of RBCs or hemoglobin decreases the blood's ability to carry oxygen to tissues. The body responds by increasing the heart and breathing rates in an attempt to pump more blood to the tissues, giving them more oxygen. This strain can increase the burden on the heart.

Why Is Knowing My Hemoglobin Level Before Surgery So Important?

Your hemoglobin level lets you know if your body is making enough red blood cells. It is important to know this before surgery because you will lose some blood during or after surgery. If you have too few red blood cells, you are anemic. This increases your risk of needing transfusions. It also means that less oxygen is reaching your muscles and organs (e.g., your heart), which places greater demands on your body during healing.

How Can I Find Out My Hemoglobin Level?

Ask your doctor for a blood test to check your hemoglobin level. Your RBCs can be directly counted or estimated by measuring hemoglobin or hematocrit (or HCT, the percentage of red blood cells in the blood) levels. Normal hemoglobin levels are 140-180 g/L in men and 120-160 g/L in women. You are anemic when your hemoglobin level falls below these ranges.

How Can I Raise My Hemoglobin Level?

There are ways to get your hemoglobin count back up to normal before surgery, depending on the cause of your anemia. If you lack certain nutrients or vitamins, you may need to take supplements or a medication to increase your red blood cells. Read about treatment options here. (link)

Managing Blood Loss

To combat the blood loss that occurs during surgery, you either can receive a blood transfusion from banked blood supplies, donate your own blood before surgery for transfusion later, or build up your supply of red blood cells prior to surgery.

Blood Donated By Others

While the national blood supply has never been safer, there are still potential risks associated with receiving blood donated by another person (allogeneic [al"-o-je-ne'-ik] blood transfusion).

* Some of these potential risks include:

* the transmission of infections and diseases carried in the blood

*allergic reactions to another person's blood

*Fortunately, alternatives to allogeneic transfusion are available if you are undergoing elective surgery

Alternatives to Blood Transfusion

Donating Your Own Blood:

If you donate your own (autologous [aw-tol'o-gus]) blood before surgery, it will be stored for transfusing during or after the surgical procedure, if needed.

Key Facts About Self-Donated Blood

* Helps reduce your likelihood of receiving blood donated by another person, thereby avoiding potential risks

* usually requires a period of at least 2 weeks before surgery to participate

* May not be appropriate if you have anemia

* May not be advisable if you have a history of several types of heart problems, seizures or cerebrovascular disease

Building Your Red Blood Cell Supply

A third alternative is to increase your red blood cell count with a medication that stimulates the body's own production of red blood cells. Ask your doctor about a medication alternative and whether it is right for you.

How Do I Know If I Might Need Blood?

There are two main factors that your physician will consider in deciding whether you many need blood. The first is your hemoglobin level prior to surgery. The second is the amount of blood you are expected to lose, and this depends on the type of surgery. For example, hernia operations usually result in minimal blood loss white a hip replacement or cardiac surgery may result in greater blood loss. Talk with your surgeon about expected blood loss with your specific operation.

During your treatment, your doctor will take blood samples to check your blood cell counts. It is important that these stay in the normal range. If your red blood cell count falls below normal, you may experience some of the signs and symptoms of anemia. Signs of anemia can include weakness, fatigue, pale skin, lightheadedness, dizziness, shortness of breath, and decreased energy levels. Treating anemia can help you feel better.