Cats needing blood transfusion after spay surgery mostly survive

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the survival rate and factors influencing the survival of queens requiring autotransfusion after ovariohysterectomy. METHODS: Medical records were searched for queens > 5 months of age that received an autotransfusion following spay surgery between January 1, 2022, and January 9, 2024. Information about clinical signs, findings during surgery, additional transfusions, and survival outcomes were extracted from the records and analyzed for significant bivariate relationships. RESULTS: 56 queens received an autotransfusion; 47 (83.9%) survived to discharge. The presence of abnormal findings during surgery was significantly negatively associated with survival. None of the other factors explored had a significant relationship with survival after autotransfusion. CONCLUSIONS: The survival rate of queens that received an autotransfusion after discharge was high, similar to previous reports of survival rates in dogs and cats receiving traditional transfusions. Underlying conditions were negatively associated with survival after autotransfusion. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Autotransfusion is an effective treatment for surgery-associated abdominal bleeding. This lifesaving procedure could be applied to other contexts where there is significant blood loss into the abdomen or other space from which the blood can be collected and safely readministered to the patient, thereby adding a transfusion option along the spectrum of care, increasing access to a lifesaving treatment that may otherwise be unavailable.