EXTRACTS FROM OPINION, DATED FEBRUARY 1, 2024:
“I believe that patients have the right to choose the treatment they receive. It is against my policy to refuse to help patients who ask for help simply because they refuse blood transfusions.
… the Hamadayama Hospital Orthopedic Surgery Department offers bloodless surgery. I am mainly involved in artificial joints, spine surgery, and other surgical procedures. …
It is safe to say that almost all orthopedic surgeries can be performed without blood transfusion.
In order to safely perform bloodless surgery, it is important to “use the best techniques, minimize operating time, minimize blood loss, and strive for safety so that blood transfusions will not be necessary.””
“For those who are naturally anemic, we recommend undergoing surgery only after receiving treatment with general anemia-improving drugs beforehand. Although we employ various conceivable methods to perform bloodless surgery, we hope that university hospitals and advanced medical institutions with the most cutting-edge medical technology will lead in this field.
As mentioned above, none of our orthopedic surgeries have ever required postoperative blood transfusions.” (Original in Japanese.)