Copyright
©2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 14, 2013; 19(22): 3371-3374
Published online Jun 14, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i22.3371
Published online Jun 14, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i22.3371
Controversy over the use of intraoperative blood salvage autotransfusion during liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma patients
Bo Zhai, Xue-Ying Sun, Hepatosplenic Surgery Center, Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China
Author contributions: Sun XY conceived and revised the article; Zhai B searched the literature and drafted the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Xue-Ying Sun, MD, PhD, Professor, Hepatosplenic Surgery Center, Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China. kevsun88@hotmail.com
Telephone: +86-451-53643628 Fax: +86-451-53643628
Received: April 23, 2013
Revised: May 2, 2013
Accepted: May 9, 2013
Published online: June 14, 2013
Revised: May 2, 2013
Accepted: May 9, 2013
Published online: June 14, 2013
Core Tip
Core tip: The use of intraoperative blood salvage autotransfusion (IBSA) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing liver transplantation is controversial as it may reinfuse salvaged blood contaminated by tumor cells. In this article, we reviewed the relevant literature and tried to address the critical questions about IBSA. The available data indicate that IBSA is safe in liver transplantation for HCC, but randomized, controlled and prospective trials are urgently required to clarify the uncertainty.