Persuasive Essay On Bloodless Surgery

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Bloodless Surgery
Imagine, you walk into the Doctor’s office and he or she tells you, “We need to operate.” Naturally, you want to discuss all your options so that you can ensure that you get the best medical care available. However, when a person refuses to accept blood as an option for a much needed surgery, they are often told that they are not being reasonable or even that without a transfusion they won’t survive. Many have heard this life-threatening statement as if there were no more viable and life preserving options. However, Dr. Abe Steinberger, a neurosurgeon at Englewood Hospital in New Jersey stated, “If there’s any way to avoid getting a blood transfusion one is better off in general if they can avoid it” (Religion & Ethics …show more content…

As mentioned earlier, although blood transfusions have become much safer, they still present some risks. One such risk is due to the inability to screen for every possible disease. Some diseases or infections are not visible at the time of screening. Dr. Peter Carolan, the senior officer of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, agrees that there is no way we can screen for every possible disease or infections due to the fact that diseases mutate and evolve over time (Transfusion Medicine, 2006). In addition, there is also the risk of having an allergic reaction to the transfusion. This can occur because the body recognizes the transfused blood as a foreign substance and therefore, will produce antibodies to fight against the substance “invading” the body. In mild cases, it can consist of possible itching, rash, and fever. These reactions can occur even when the donor blood and patient blood are a match. However, mistakes can happen and in severe cases where the blood was not a match, due to a possible clerical error, one can experience difficulty breathing, and in worse cases death. These reactions can develop during the transfusion, right after, or even weeks later. Although the risks associated with blood transfusions are low, medical professionals as well as patients are seeking bloodless

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