Perioperative Management of Craniofacial Surgery in Infants and Children

Comparison of perioperative blood salvage and postoperative reinfusion of drained blood during surgical correction of craniosynostosis in infants

“…Surgical procedures depend on the type of craniosynostosis and are aimed at restoring normal anatomy at an early age to achieve the best cosmetic results and to avoid possible cerebral consequences (2). They are performed in young infants with a small blood volume and an extensive blood loss of more than one estimated blood volume in <30 min has already been reported (3). The amount of blood loss varies with the type of surgery, but usually occurs mainly during the first part of the surgical procedure (skull incision, craniotomy) and during the postoperative period (2,4–6).…”