[Autologous blood transfusion with deep frozen stored blood in cardiac surgery (author's transl)].

Cardiac operations were made possible by deep freezing of autologous blood in 187 out of 262 cardiac patients (71%) using only the patients' own blood. In only 75 patients (29%) was additional homologous blood transfusion necessary. It should be possible to lower further the requirements for donor blood by using an even stricter indication for the transfusion of homologous blood and by further improvements in techniques and organization. Autologous blood donation and transfusion of deep frozen conserved own blood were both tolerated very well by patients with cardiac disease. The advantages of deep frozen conservation of autologous blood in cardiac surgery are so convincing that they fully compensate for disadvantages of high cost and work required.