Commentary: Do-it-yourself Cell Salvage

We enjoyed reading the article on cell salvage from a seasoned aortic group.

It revives an age-old debate on cell salvage and is even more enjoyable for it. The debates are numerous. First, does cell salvage itself cause postoperative complications or is it rather the loss of blood that does? This question has been the subject of many a question posed to medical students and for which there is never a correct answer.

The cause of complications observed with increased cell salvage is likely to remain enigmatic. Nonetheless, we commend the investigation of our colleagues into cell salvage, and our inclination is to agree that excessive cell salvage cannot be salutary. And while advertising is always cheap, we continue to recommend reinfusing whole blood through a system similar to ours and that of our colleagues.