Surgery

Major surgery for the purposes of donor selection: Any surgical procedure where recovery is not achieved within two months.
Recovery from surgery: Donors can be considered to be recovered if they:

• are well,
• are back to activities of daily living (e.g. housework, employment, driving), 
• have regained mobility

Must not donate if:
a) For malignancy or other condition that would preclude donation.
b) All wounds are not healed.
c) There are signs or symptoms of any infection.
d) Not fully recovered.
e) Less than four months after major surgery.
f) Less than seven days after other surgery.
g) Requiring post-operative treatment or follow-up that might indicate further intervention is required, excluding routine follow-up or physiotherapy.
h) If waiting for surgery that is:

• expected to occur within three months, or 
• required due to possible malignancy or other condition that would preclude donation.

i) Less than seven days after completing postoperative prophylactic anticoagulant treatment.

a) If less than four months from the major surgical procedure, discuss with the DCSO who will decide if the donor may be accepted on a balance of risks following discussion with the Transplant Centre.
b) If the donor is waiting for surgery that is not required for possible malignancy, and:

• the procedure is not expected to take place within three months, or 
• the procedure is minimally invasive, and it is not expected to take place within one month, 

accept.
c) If it is less than three months since any surgical procedure performed outside of the UK and ROI, and all other criteria for surgery performed within the UK and ROI are met, discuss with the DCSO. See additional information.

Anaesthetic

Anticoagulant Therapy

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Cervical Carcinoma in Situ

Dental Treatment

Neurosurgery

Ocular Surgery

Tissue and Cell Allograft Recipients

Transfusion

Xenotransplantation

Surgery may cause significant blood loss. It is important that donors waiting for an operation should not be put at risk of anaemia or poor iron stores by donating prior to planned surgery. Unless the type of surgery planned is unlikely to result in significant blood loss the donor should be deferred until after their planned surgery. This will minimize their own chance of needing a transfusion, which would of course prevent them from continuing as a donor. It is also important not to hinder the recovery of the donor. This requires waiting until they are fully recovered before they donate again.

Surgery may place the donor at risk of infection, either from unhealed wounds or due to infection risks from infected staff or equipment. Although these risks are very small it is important to wait long enough for the risks to have gone or until the tests performed by the Blood & Tissues Services can pick up any infection that they test for that may have been transmitted to the donor by surgery.

The entry has been revised to include a definition of recovery and amendment of the definition of major surgery. The deferral after major surgery has been shortened.

Specific guidance for, donors awaiting surgery and postoperative thromboprophylaxis has been added.

As there may be uncertainty about additional risks for surgery performed outside of the UK and ROI, which may vary between countries, referral to DCSO for individual risk assessment is advised.

Definition of major surgery changed. ‘Obligatory’, ‘Discretionary’ and ‘Additional Information’ sections updated. ‘See if Relevant’ links added.