Jehovahʹs witnesses requiring complex urgent cardiothoracic surgery

Blood-sparing surgical technique and perioperative medical management allows complex surgery in Jehovahʹs Witnesses. The authors review four cases of urgent cardiothoracic surgery performed on Jehovahʹs Witnesses. No lasting sequelae associated with either bleeding or end-organ ischemia were noted. Cardiopulmonary bypass management, meticulous hemostatic operative technique, and pharmacologic support of hemostasis and erythropoiesis permit this complex surgery.