Cardiac transplantation in a Jehovah's witness

Between July 1982 and October 1987, surgeons at our institution performed 215 cardiac transplantation procedures, 1 of which was in a 46-year-old Jehovah's Witness with congestive cardiomyopathy, who required preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump support. At surgery, the cardiopulmonary bypass system was primed with 1600 ml of Ringer's lactate solution and dextrose. In the 57 minutes during which the patient was on cardiopulmonary bypass, the intra-aortic balloon was removed and successful orthotopic heart transplantation was performed. No supplemental blood or blood product was used, either during or after the procedure. The estimated intraoperative blood loss was 300 ml, and the postoperative chest tube drainage amounted to 1495 ml. Postoperative hematologic abnormalities (mild hypoprothrombinemia, mild thrombocytopenia, mild platelet dysfunction, and moderate hypochromic microcytic anemia) were corrected with Imferon, vitamin K, and desmopressin acetate administered intravenously, and with ferrous sulfate administered orally. This case, which to our knowledge is only the 2nd cardiac transplant in a Jehovah's Witness, further establishes that these patients can undergo even the most major of open-heart procedures without supplemental blood.