EXTRACTS FROM OPINION, DATED FEBRUARY 26, 2024:
“Since 2006, the Osaka University Hospital has been providing bloodless treatment to patients who reject blood transfusions, most of whom are Jehovah’s Witnesses. So far there were no deaths caused by the refusal of blood transfusions as of February 26, 2024.
In our experience, most surgeries can now be done without blood transfusions. This is due to improved surgical techniques to minimize blood loss, such as laparoscopic and robotic surgery and use of electrocautery scalpel, improved diagnostic testing, and hemostatic agents, such as tranexamic acid.
Through years of research, we came to realize that patients can safely tolerate relatively low hemoglobin levels. In the past, transfusions were used in an effort to bring the hemoglobin level closer to the normal level. We have now learned that there is no need for blood transfusion even if the hemoglobin level drops to 6 g/dl. As a result, patients who would have had blood transfusions in the past can now recover without transfusions.
We have also learned that there are significant disadvantages to blood transfusions. In the past, patients who had blood transfusions would say, “My body got warm.” However, when we did a randomized trial and looked at the long-term results, it was clear that there were significant disadvantages to blood transfusions.
Peer-reviewed medical studies show that after patients received blood transfusions, their immune systems are significantly weakened, and cancer recurrence risk can be higher. On the other hand, the results of patients who did not receive blood transfusions fare obviously better than those of patients treated with blood transfusions.
As a result of those studies, bloodless treatments are becoming the standard of medical care both in Japan and abroad while the use of blood transfusion is significantly decreasing.
Although bloodless surgery involves a certain amount of risks, there are considerable risks in blood transfusions. Therefore, it is worthwhile to respect the wishes of patients and treat them without blood as much as possible. Our experience with bloodless operations, together with scientific studies showing the risks of blood transfusions, has in turn helped us to provide better medical care to all of our patients.” (Original in Japanese.)