Forsyth Medical Center 
Blood Conservation Program
| The Blood Conservation Program allows patients to avoid the use of donor blood during medical and surgical procedures. |
At Forsyth Medical Center and Medical Park Hospital, we are dedicated to meeting the specialized needs of our patients, including those who prefer or require options for blood conservation therapy. Our commitment is to provide state-of-the-art equipment and highly-skilled teams of surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists and technicians who fully understand and support blood conservation services.
Why Blood Conservation?
The Blood Conservation Program is a special service offered at Forsyth Medical Center, Medical Park Hospital and Thomasville Medical Center for patients who wish to avoid the use of donor blood during medical and surgical procedures.
Benefits of Blood Conservation
There are many reasons you may prefer blood conservation:
- Religious convictions
- Concerns about the risks of blood-borne illnesses such as Hepatitis and HIV
- Concerns about the risk of infection
- Reduced recovery time
- Blood shortage issues
Are Blood Conservation Procedures Safe?
All of the physicians participating in this program have a high level of expertise in "transfusion-free" procedures and a personal desire to help individuals requesting non-blood medical management. Thanks to advances in equipment and technology, physicians and surgeons can safely and successfully perform numerous procedures, from routine appendectomies to complex orthopedic and open-heart surgeries, withour using blood transfusions.
Our Technology
Our skilled medical and surgical professionals employ state-of-the-art technology as part of the Blood Conservation Program, such as:
- Volume Expanders - Utilizes intravenous fluids to enhance the circulation of a patient's own blood without the use of blood or blood products.
- Pharmaceuticals - Uses synthetic erythropoietin to stimulate bone marrow to produce red blood cells, and hemostatic agents promote coagulation.
- Intra-Operative Blood Salvage (Cell Saver) and Hemodilution - Salvages, filters and recirculates the patient's own non-stored blood.
- Harmonic Scalpel, Lasers, Argon Beam Coagulator and Electrocautery - Employs devices during surgery to reduce blood loss.
- Transcutaneous Oxygen Monitoring and Pulse Oximetry - Non-invasively tracks oxygen levels during surgery.
- Blood Conservation Techniques - Can lower the patient's blood pressure and temperature during surgery; also uses low-volume sampling techniques to reduce the amount of blood specimens needed for analytic testing.
About Program Management
The Blood Conservation Program offers the services of a medical director and a program coordinator who are trained and experienced as facilitators in blood conservation. The coordinator will be directly involved with you and your family and will work with you to ensure high-quality medical care while respecting your choices regarding specific medical procedures.
More Information and Questions
- Forsyth Blood Conservation Program at Forsyth Medical Center & Medical Park Hospital - 888.894.9777 or 336.718.1777
