Cross-matched blood for major head and neck surgery: an analysis of requirements

We retrospectively analysed our blood ordering practice; the number of units of cross-matched blood requested was compared with the number transfused, in 70 patients undergoing a total of 82 ablative operations for malignant disease. Patients undergoing neck dissection alone, or excision of tumour with free revascularized flap reconstruction without neck dissection, are unlikely to require blood transfusion. Operations that include excision of tumour with primary closure and neck dissection, excision of tumour with pedicled flap reconstruction and excision of tumour with any form of flap reconstruction and neck dissection in continuity, will probably require transfusion. If atypical antibodies are present in the patient's serum on screening, cross-matched blood should always be available preoperatively. Provided that atypical antibodies are not present and that blood is available within 40 minutes from the blood bank, our results show that it is safe to adopt a policy of blood grouping and saving serum, for patients undergoing neck dissection alone, but cross-matching two or more units of blood for patients who are to have more extensive operations.