Is blood transfusion necessary in reduction mammaplasty patients?

A study was undertaken at St. Mary's Hospital to determine the number of reduction mammaplasty patients receiving blood transfusions during or after surgery. Only 3 of 192 patients in a 3-year period required blood. With the use of xylocaine 0.5% with 1:200,000 adrenalin injected into the breasts before surgery, bleeding was decreased. Thus, the only patient who received blood in the next 203 patients was one who had an autologous unit collected preoperatively and who did not really require it. None of the 11 patients with amounts of breast tissue removed weighing between 3,000 to 4,200 g required blood transfusions.