Management of Combined Cardiac Surgery Using Cardiopulmonary Bypass With Acute Normovolemic Hemodilution in a Jehovah’s Witness: A Case Report

Combined cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has a high risk of requiring blood transfusion. Performing this surgery on Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) is challenging as they strictly refuse allogeneic blood transfusions due to their religious beliefs. A 73-year-old female JW patient underwent combined surgery involving coronary artery bypass grafting and mitral valvuloplasty under CPB. Preoperative hematopoiesis maintained the hemoglobin (Hb) level at >12 g/dL preoperatively; the Hb level was maintained at >7 g/dL during CPB for effective acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH). Compared with the values obtained immediately after CPB weaning, the Hb level and coagulation functions (measured using viscoelastic tests) improved after autologous transfusion at the end of the surgery. When cardiac surgery under CPB is performed on JWs, ANH can be useful for maintaining postoperative Hb levels and coagulation factors. Sufficient preoperative hematopoiesis and determination of an appropriate volume for intraoperative ANH may be important for effective ANH.