elective open surgery

Background During a recent NHS blood transfusion (NHSBT) Amber Alert1 for a shortage of Group O red cells available for transfusion, a recommendation to review higher risk surgeries which may require transfusion was implemented. Vascular surgery, and particularly open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, is often cited as being a particularly high-risk group (>15% transfusion…