[Autologous blood transfusion in elective operations. Procedures with 102 blood retransfusion cases]

Since June 1987 a total of 102 patients undergoing elective operations have donated autologous blood for a later possible retransfusion. Although autologous transfusion was time-consuming, nearly all patients accepted this method because they received the safest of all possible transfusions. This way, preoperative psychological anxieties could be reduced and it was made easier for the patients to decide in favor of the operation. Severe somatic pains caused by blood donation were not observed.