Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center (PBGMC) advances surgical care for many procedures in Palm Beach County with the opening of its new Bloodless Medicine and Surgery Program. Some patients want to avoid receiving blood transfusions because of religious beliefs or medical concerns.
Traditionally, blood lost during surgery is replaced with banked blood from donors. The hospital’s bloodless medicine and surgery program uses special surgical methods that minimize blood loss and uses substitutes for blood products.
Thanks to medical advances, some surgeries today can be performed without blood transfusions. In fact, many techniques developed for people who need bloodless surgery for religious reasons are now standard procedure for all patients.
“This program eases the burden on the blood bank,” said Robin Ortega, Patient Navigator for the Bloodless Medicine and Surgery Program. “We are preserving our own precious resource in blood, which allows us all to be a good steward for the community.”
Blood conservation interventions can be used in numerous medical and surgical specialties including cardiac surgery, cardiology, colon surgery, emergency services, general surgery, internal medicine, neurosurgery, orthopedics, spine surgery and more.
“Our bloodless program provides evidence based medical care for patients who want to avoid the need for blood transfusion,” said Teresa Urquhart, CEO of Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. “This is another example of our hospital’s commitment to the community to provide excellent healthcare.”
