[Preoperative autologous blood bank: communication, documentation, informed consent, iron supplement, testing, blood bank reports, cost control, transfusion].

Preoperative deposition auf autologous blood requires a strenuous effort for its initiation and operation. K.R.A.F.T.A.K.T. (literal translation: strenuous effort) became therefore the acronym for the program realized at this institution; it stands for: K = communication between patient and his physicians (primary care, surgeon, blood banker) R = direction of the program through the primary care physician (who does what, when, where, how and how much of it) A = informed consent of the patient prior to the first donation F = iron supplement (100mg Fe++ daily beginning 2 weeks prior) T = collection, processing, labelling, storage, pretransfusion testing, and release in accordance with GMP and legal requirements A = blood bank reports on the available units to all concerned K = cost control (limited to operations in need of transfusion) T = transfusion of autologous prior to any homologous unit. We report initial experiences and a cost assessment.