Liver transplantation in Jehovah's Witnesses: two cases report

• Published in: Korean journal of anesthesiology Vol. 70; no. 3; pp. 350 - 355
• Main Authors: Jeong, Ju-Young, Jee, Hyeon Sook, Koo, Bon-Sung, Cho, Sung-Hwan, Kim, Sang-Hyun, Kim, GaabSoo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Society of Anesthesiologists 01.06.2017; Korean Society of Anesthesiologists; 대한마취통증의학회
• Subjects: bloodless medical and surgical procedures; Case Report; jehovah's witnesses; liver transplantation; operative blood salvage; 마취과학; Jehovah's Witnesses; Operative blood salvage; Bloodless medical and surgical procedures; Liver transplantation
• ISSN: 2005-6419; 2005-7563
• DOI: 10.4097/kjae.2017.70.3.350

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.