[Effect of a preoperative separation of platelets on the postoperative blood loss subsequent to extracorporeal circulation in open heart surgery (author's transl)].

After operations with extracorporeal circulation there is a risk of clotting disorders, due to traumatisation of blood. The extent of cell damage are shown, in particular, by qualitative and quantitative impairment of platelet function. The clinical application of modern blood processors offer the possibility of selecting platelets from patients blood in the immediate preoperative period. Open heart operations were preceded by separation of platelets in 17 patients using a Haemonetics blood processor. After a postoperative retransfusion of the platelets an evident improvement in platelet function and a significant decrease in the predisposition to bleeding was demonstrated in the further postoperative period. During and after extracorporeal circulation the extent of microembolisation was registered by screen filtration pressure. In the clinical experiments, regularly, there is a significant increase of screen filtration pressure in the immediate postoperative period. These reactions were not seen in patients in whom preoperative separation of platelets was carried out. The most important clinical advantage of preoperative plateletpheresis consists in a significant decrease of postoperative blood loss. In particular the development of postperfusion lung will be prevented.