The surgeon, the anaesthetist, and the bleeding patient. Can the haematologist help?

Anaesthesiology is one of the fastest growing specialties in medicine. Conventionally, the expanded responsibilities include control of intravenous infusion of blood, blood components, and plasma fractions. The advances taking place in medicine generally are reflected in the greater sophistication and range of surgical procedures that can be undertaken safely, such as elective operations on patients known to be at risk from bleeding. Their successful outcome depends upon co-ordination between anaesthetist, surgeon and haematologist. This teamwork can be illustrated by considering an approach to the problem of haemostatically unbalanced patients requiring surgical procedures.