Will my orthopedic surgeon know if I need blood?

You may need blood after the surgery. It has been shown that if you have a low blood count prior to surgery, you will probably need donated blood after surgery. Pre-op donation only increases your chance of needing additional blood after surgery and we rarely request this. Also, a low blood count coming into surgery results in post-op fatigue and lowers the chance of walking the day of surgery. Our transfusion rate in patients with a normal blood count pre-op is very low. Although the community blood bank is very safe, if you for some reason have a great fear of blood bank blood, arrangements can be made for a family member to donate blood for your use.

We take extra steps to ensure you are fully prepared before surgery!