Our cell saver programme recovers the blood a patient may lose during an operation and safely returns it to their body. Our expert haematology team are highly experienced at carrying out this innovative procedure in our first-class operating theatres.
Cell saver programme
Also known as: cell salvage, intraoperative blood salvage
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What is it for?
Returning blood lost in surgery to a patient
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Treatment overview
Our cell saver programme involves the use of a technique called cell salvage. This collects a patient’s blood that may be lost during an operation.
A special machine then washes the collected blood and extracts red blood cells from it. The red blood cells are returned back to your body through a small tube into a vein.
Blood that is lost during an operation is collected by special technology called a cell salvage machine. The machine separates the different parts of the blood and collects just the red blood cells. The red blood cells are then given back to you during or just after your operation.
If you are interested in opting for London Haematology’s cell saver programme as part of your treatment, you should discuss your options with your surgeon or anaesthetist.
FAQs
The use of cell salvage can the reduce the need for a transfusion of blood from a donor. In the UK, risks associated with receiving blood from a donor are low. However, there is still a very small chance of infection being passed on. Donor blood is also stored before transfusion. This can affect its properties, for example, stored blood does not carry oxygen well. Using the cell saver programme eliminates both of these issues. Overall, cell salvage reduces the use of blood from a blood bank. This means more donated blood is available to other people. This is important because there is a national shortage of blood in the UK.
Currently, we do not offer our cell saver programme to people living with cancer. This is because of the risk of cancer cells being returned to a patient’s body during the cell salvage procedure. Some patients may also not be suitable for cell salvage because their operation will not result in them losing enough blood. Cell salvage is also not recommended for certain types of operations, including some bowel surgery.
You might want to use the cell saver programme because: • You do not wish to receive blood from a blood donor • You are expected to lose a lot of blood during your operation and you want to reduce the amount of donated blood you receive • You have a rare blood group or antibodies • You are anaemic or have increased risk factors for bleeding If you are interested in the cell saver programme, please speak to your consultant at London Haematology about it. They will then will discuss your suitability for the procedure and all your options.
We offer Fixed Price Packages
Where possible, we’ll provide a fixed-price package for your hospital care. This covers your hospital stay, nursing, and use of our facilities, giving you a clear guide to what those costs will be.
- Pre-op assessment
- Hospital stay, nursing care and meals
- Tests, scans and physio during your stay
- Take-home medication (up to 5 days)
- Post-op follow-up appointments
- Standard equipment or prosthesis (if needed)
- Unplanned extended stay or ITU (if clinically required)
- Initial consultation and any tests done during it
- Consultant and anaesthetist fees (quoted separately)
- Physio or therapy before or after your stay
- Diagnostics before admission (unless agreed in your plan)
- Specialist medication beyond 5 days
- Ambulance transport or bespoke prosthetics
Your consultant’s fees are quoted separately and shared directly by their office after your consultation. These professional fees cover the time, expertise, and care provided by your consultant before, during, and after your treatment. See our full terms and conditions
Why choose The London Clinic?
Trusted for over 90 years, The London Clinic is an independent charitable hospital that reinvests into care, research, and support for those who can’t easily access private treatment.
The UK’s largest independent hospital
More patients choose The London Clinic than any other.
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Full intensive care on-site
World-class 13-bed ICU for expert support if your care becomes complex.
Investing in clinical excellence
Backed by Northwestern, we equip our teams with cutting-edge medical equipment.
0% Finance Options
We’ve teamed up with Chrysalis to offer you funding options that allow you to spread the cost of your treatment.
If you choose to pay for your treatment at The London Clinic over 12 months, you can make use of a great 0% interest option and pay nothing extra. Or you can choose to pay over two to five years at 14.9% APR.
Trustees of the London Clinic Ltd trading as The London Clinic is an Appointed Representative of Chrysalis Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The London Clinic is a credit broker, not a lender. The provider of a payment scheme which is not offered through or by Chrysalis Finance Limited may not be so authorised and regulated. Cancer treatments or transplants aren’t covered by finance packages. Finance options are only available for UK patients.