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General surgical risks are inherently present for spine surgery.
Risks to the cardio pulmonary system specifically include heart attack, pneumonia, or stroke. Blood clots also represent a general risk and may develop in the legs where they are called a deep venous thrombosis. Blood clots may even break off and migrate to the lungs where they are called a pulmonary embolus. Pulmonary emboli can be fatal. Specific steps to prevent blood clots are routinely undertaken and include the use of mild blood thinners and compressive leg stockings.
Rarely does major system or organ failure occur. Major organs include the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. In general, the healthier you are going into a surgery, the less likely you are to be at risk for these types of complications.
Blood loss is a general risk in any surgical procedure. The amount of blood loss is specific to the magnitude of the surgery and varies from procedure to procedure and from patient to patient. Many times, we will request that you pre-donate your blood with the anticipation that it will be used at the time of your surgery or shortly thereafter.
In addition, a device called a Cell Saver is used during surgery to help collect blood that might accumulate in the wound and minimize overall blood loss. Cell Saver washes the collected blood and returns it to you.
Even so, excessive blood loss can and does occur and may require the use of other blood products or banked blood. You may be asked to sign a specific consent acknowledging the potential need for a blood product transfusion.
In this document, it is explained that the risk of receiving a unit of blood or blood product tainted with the hepatitis virus is approximately one in 4,000. The risk of receiving a unit of blood or blood product tainted with the AIDS virus is approximately one in 400,000. The potential for clerical or other error resulting in your receiving the wrong unit of blood is a remote, but ever present possibility. This can result in a transfusion reaction or other adverse situation.
The physicians at CCSI are aware of blood related risks. That is why we are actively involved in research to examine techniques, materials or products that might help to reduce surgical blood loss or even replace the need for blood product transfusion.
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