Liver transplantation in Jehovah's Witnesses: two cases report.
10.4097/kjae.2017.70.3.350
- Author:
Ju Young JEONG
1
;
Hyeon Sook JEE
;
Bon Sung KOO
;
Sung Hwan CHO
;
Sang Hyun KIM
;
GaabSoo KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Bucheon, Korea. skim@schmc.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Bloodless medical and surgical procedures;
Jehovah's Witnesses;
Liver transplantation;
Operative blood salvage
- MeSH:
Adult;
Bloodless Medical and Surgical Procedures;
Hemodilution;
Humans;
Jehovah's Witnesses*;
Korea;
Liver Transplantation*;
Liver*;
Living Donors;
Operative Blood Salvage;
Religion
- From:Korean Journal of Anesthesiology
2017;70(3):350-355
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Liver transplantation is especially challenging in patients who are Jehovah's Witnesses because their religious beliefs prohibit the receipt of blood products. We present two cases of living donor liver transplantation performed in adult Jehovah's Witnesses in South Korea without the use of blood products. In the first case, preoperative erythropoiesisstimulation therapy increased hemoglobin levels from 8.1 to 13.1 g/dl after 9 weeks. In the second case, hemoglobin levels increased from 7.4 to 10.8 g/dl after 6 months of erythropoiesis-stimulation therapy. With the combination of acute normovolemic hemodilution, intraoperative cell salvage, and use of transfusion alternatives, liver transplantation was successfully performed without transfusion of blood products.
