The use of intraoperative cell salvage in urologic oncology

Intraoperative cell salvage (IOCS) has been used in urologic surgery for over 20 years to manage intraoperative blood loss and effectively minimize the need for allogenic blood transfusion. Concerns about viability of transfused erythrocytes and potential dissemination of malignant cells have been addressed in the urologic literature. We present a comprehensive review of the use of IOCS in urologic oncologic surgery. IOCS has been shown to preserve the integrity of erythrocytes during processing and effectively provides cell filtration to mitigate the risk of tumor dissemination. Its use is associated with reduction in the overall need for allogenic blood transfusion, which clinically reduces the risk of hypersensitivity reactions and disease transmission, and may have important implications on overall oncologic outcomes. In the context of a variety of urologic malignancies, including prostate, urothelial, and renal cancer, the use of IOCS appears to be safe, without risk of tumor spread leading to metastatic disease or differences in cancer-specific and overall survival. IOCS has been shown to be an effective intraoperative blood management strategy that appears safe for use in urologic oncology surgery. The ability to reduce the need for additional allogenic blood transfusion may have significant impact on immune-mediated oncologic outcomes.