Use of tourniquet in a sickle cell patient for sequestrectomy and saucerisation: a case report

A 25 yr old 60 kg haemoglobin SS male presented with a 3 year history of a discharging sinus in the left upper arm. His last crisis was ten years earlier; while his stable haemoglobin concentration was 10 g/dl. Examination revealed healthy looking, well hydrated man. He had left upper arm chronic osteomyelitis which was diagnosed radiologically. He was scheduled for an elective saucerization and sequestrectomy. Tourniquet was applied to reduce blood loss and maintain a relatively bloodless field at surgery; and nitrous oxide/oxygen/halothane relaxant technique of anaesthesia was adopted. No perioperative problems were encountered and the patient made remarkable improvement and was discharged home. At post surgical review a few weeks after, he was stable and well.