Question:
Did you have to have a blood transfusion with your plastic surgery?

As a rule, does plastic surgery normally require a blood transfusion?    — Kimberly J. (posted on September 23, 2003)

September 23, 2003
I had plastic surgery in Dec 2002....tummy tuck. It was not even an issue. I DO NOT think it is common, in fact I think it is extremely rare to have a blood transfusion during a plastic surgery procedure. Obviously I am not a kDoctor...just my 2 cents. :)
   — skymaxjr

September 23, 2003
I think that it is one of those "only if needed" things, my WL surgeon had never given a transfusion to a WLS patient in the 12 years he has been doing Gastric bypasses, but I ended up needing 6 units of blood. So I know that going into plastic surgery I am going to bank blood just in case.
   — Haziefrog

September 23, 2003
I had a panniculectomy and certainly didn't need blood. I didn't have a transfusion with my open RNY either. I am now recovering from having a total knee replacement, a surgery that frequently requires transfusions) and I missed that one too.
   — Patty_Butler

September 23, 2003
I had a hernia repair and a TT done at the same time. I also had a 'blood transfusion' This was ordered by the doctor (I had two) doing the hernia repair; the reason was I was extremly low in Iron; and the blood transfusion was done because of that so my surgery wouldnt have to be postponed.
   — star .

September 23, 2003
I've had 2 plastic surgeries and didn't require a blood transfusion. It certainly wouldn't be normal to have this done.
   — Patty H.

September 23, 2003
That could depend on how much work you're getting done and how your iron count is. I had a lower body lift plus a breast lift at the same time. It was almost 9 hours worth of surgery, and I did have some blood loss. My surgeon contemplated a transfusion as my iron count dropped low, but ended up deciding against it and putting me on a regimine of prescription iron instead. I had a friend that had a breast reduction and thigh lift, and she DID get a transfusion, but she was a bit on the anemic side in general, and it doesn't take much for her to go low. So, I don't think it's common, but it can happen. I'm not a doc, but it seems to me that it would make sense get your iron levels up before surgery to make it less likely that you'd need a transfusion.
   — mom2jtx3

October 6, 2003
I had a tummy tuck, breast lift and arms done on Thursday, 9/25/03. I stayed in the hospital overnight. I found myself feeling worse and worse each day home, and on Wed night, 10/1, starting bleeding heavily from the abdominal incision site. My PS had me go immediately to the ER and while the blood flow had stopped, my hematocrit (% of red blood cells in total volume of blood) was at 22 (lowest acceptable level for a woman is 35). I was admitted and by the next day, it had dropped to 19. They wanted to transfuse, but I refused and spoke at lenghth with a hemotologist, deciding to treat this at home with megadoses of iron. I came home on Friday, and now, three days later, feel even worse. My PS told me that in about 20% of cases with people who've had WLS, he does have to transfuse. Now I'm sorry I refused the tranfusion and am contemplating returning to the ER.
   — Cyndie K.