Blood for heart surgery: bypass, valves and standby units

Open-heart surgery runs with blood standing by, sometimes several units per operation, all from ordinary donors the week before. ## Why these patients need blood Heart-lung machines, thinning medicines and surgical fields make transfusion part of the routine, not the exception. That is why cardiac centres anchor the demand side of every blood system, and why O− shelves empty fastest when surgery lists run long. ## What a donor changes here Every unit on the shelf for these patients was an ordinary person’s ordinary Tuesday. Register as a donor, two minutes, OTP once, your own 6-digit sign-in code, and the next patient on this list finds blood already waiting. If you are arranging blood for one of these patients right now: post a free request (matching donors near the hospital are alerted in seconds) or check stock on e-RaktKosh and call the centre before travelling. The requisition slip guide explains the paper the hospital gave you.