Blood Donation?

[nteeman]

After recovering from my surgery on January 27, 2009 I made a blood donation on April 2, 2009. No problem. They did ask if I had surgery recently and I informed them I did. I also asked my surgeon prior to this if I could donate blood and he said no problem.

Today I went to give again and this time when I informed them that I had surgery in January, they asked if I had Dura Mater Transplant. I wasn't sure so they would not take my blood. I called my surgeons office and they informed me that any patching of the Dura they used, Dura Seal, Dura Gen, Tiss Seal as well as some of my own muscle tissue and those are synthetic products. Once I got this information it was too late to donate but I was pretty shocked that they took me in April but not today. they made it my burden to prove to them that I could donate!  I have been donating blood for many years and while I find this an easy way to do some good I don't think it should be my burden to prove my worthyness.  My doctor's office said that as long as I am fully recovered without infection there is no reason I can't donate. After this adventure I don't think I will be donating for a while.

rant over.

Neal

[Kaybo]

Neal~
 i, too, always donated and every since i had surgery, they won't take my blood.  I even called the Dr.'s office in Houston last year when I specifically wanted to help a lady here.  It was AMAZING what all I was going to have to do to be able to give again.  I found out that the lady had more than more than enough blood so I dropped it - I need to jump thru the hoops again and get it done once & for all so I can start giving again!

K

[CHD63]

Neal .....

Bummer!  My husband has donated gallons of blood (forget how many  ) but I never have, due to many years of low hemoglobin and then my first brain surgery in 1994.  My husband was helping with a blood donor drive the other day so when he came home I asked him if they had changed any of the "rules" now since I no longer have low hemoglobin problems and I am fully recovered from the AN surgery.  He said he didn't think so.  He did not memorize the wording but it was his understanding that even if the dura had been opened, they could no longer accept your blood.

I just asked him about it and he wasn't sure either so I am going to have to check into it locally.  I suppose we could check on the American Red Cross site and it might say ......    At any rate, I'd like to know the reason why the blood is affected by a Dura Mater Transplant.

Clarice

[tenai98]

I have always been a blood donor. But since travelling to Mexico they will not accept me unless a yr goes by...I fly to Mexico every yr now.  Then the rules slackened a bit and if one is in Puerto Vallarta it is now considered a safe zone. ( maybe not now after the swine flu outbreak).  This yr I was in P.V. and Nuevo Vallarta (10 mts ouside P. V.) and I was not allowed to donate. Next yr, I will be mainly in PV but may travel outside as I like to discover the poor areas as well as the tourist area...Guess I wont be giving blood for awhile
JO

[Lilan]

Dura Seal. That freaks me out a little.      

[leapyrtwins]

I've been a blood donor for years and the only thing I had to do post op was defer donations for a few months.

Prior to my surgery, I contacted LifeSource (the biggest blood bank around here, where I regularly donate) and told them what I was having done and asked them how long before I could donate.  They were fine with all the titanium in my head - and since I had no dura mater transplant - they had no reason to make me stop donating permanently.

When I had my BAHA implant, I gave blood a week beforehand and then returned for my regularly scheduled visit 7 weeks later.

I think the crucial part here is disclosure or proof.  I guess with LifeSource you are on the "honor system", plus since they don't specifically mention brain surgery on their form, I don't bring it up.  I did my due diligence prior to my surgery and followed the guidelines I was given by the head of their nursing department.  Bringing up the "issue" with the staff at my local blood bank would just muddy the waters and they'd probably tell me I couldn't donate - when I know better from having check it out with "headquarters".

Jan   

[Jim Scott]

The American Red Cross (and some other agencies accepting blood donations) consider dura mater (from the Latin words 'hard mother') transplants a risk factor due to concerns about Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease which is very rare, incurable, and invariably fatal.  A bit overcautious but all-too common this litigious era. 

Jim

[lori67]

Neal,

Sorry to hear you had issues donating blood.  The requirements are pretty clear cut and specifically say on the forms they make you read (although, I have to admit, I don't always read them...) that you can't donate if you've had a dura mater transplant.  Since you weren't sure, I'd say they made the right call in asking you not to donate at that point.  They're just following the guidelines, and if I were ever to be a recipient of blood, I'd want to know they weren't bending the rules along the way.  

I checked with my doctor and the Red Cross after my surgery to make sure I'd be okay to donate and was told by both that it would be fine, as long as there was no transplant involved.  I was also able to remain on the National Bone Marrow registry after my surgery.

I think the biggest risk after having a dura mater transplant lies in transmitting Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease (I'm not positive if this is the reason for excluding those who have had transplants, but I'm pretty sure this has at least something to do with it). CJD will cause a slow and very painful death - not something you'd want to inadvertently pass along to someone you're attempting to help.

The Red Cross might be picky sometimes, but we should probably be glad they are - you never know when you might be the one needing the blood - and you're not going to want a bad batch.

Donating blood is, in my opinion, a great way to give something back to those in need.  Please don't let this one bad experience ruin that for you.

Lori

[nteeman]

I will donate again and, for the record, I am glad I checked it out with my surgeon's office and found out that I am able to donate as I did not have a Dura transplant. None the less, the folks from the NY Blood Center did not handle it very well and did make me feel unappreciated, ( I have been a regular donor for at least 3 times a year for over 20 years.) I did go back and give them this information and they called it in and it was OK, but by that time it was too late for me to donate...Next time.

Neal