[Morphological changes of cryopreserved erythrocytes in heart surgery patients under effects of continuous perfusion]

Cryopreserved erythrocytes with the period of storage from 5 to 12 months were studied in 10 cardiosurgical patients under conditions of scanning electron microscopy. It was established that among unfrozen erythrocytes of patients with rheumatic diseases of the heart there were (84.25 +/- 0.7)% of normocytes and only (4.25 +/- 1.03)% of deformed cells. During the experimental perfusion the amount of normocytes decreased to (57.50 +/- 1.80)% and the amount of destroyed normocytes inconsiderably increased by the 4th hour of perfusion. The intermediate forms of erythrocytes had a clear tendency to an increase of their amount. The results obtained can show that cryoerythrocytes of cardiosurgical patients are sufficiently resistant to unfavorable factors of the artificial blood circulation, are not inferior to donor erythrocytes by their morphological properties and can be taken as a basis for transfusion therapy in operations on the open heart.