| Obligatory | Must not donate if: a) For malignancy. b) Any wounds are not healed. |
| Discretionary | a) If for basal cell carcinoma (a type of malignancy), treatment is completed and fully recovered, accept. b) If for Cervical Carcinoma in Situ, treatment is completed and a follow up smear did not show abnormal cells, accept. c) If for cosmetic purposes, when healed, accept. d) If for varicose veins, when healed, accept. e) If laser treatment to the eye, when healed, accept. |
| See if Relevant | Cervical Carcinoma in Situ Diabetes Mellitus Eye Disease Malignancy Surgery Wounds, Mouth and Skin Ulcers |
| Additional Information | Medical lasers can be used in many different situations. Their action is through heating and burning. The concern is when they are used for treating malignancies and when they leave areas of tissue damaged and susceptible to infection. Provided the reason that the laser was used is not of itself a reason to defer the donor, once all wounds are healed, so that there is no further infection risk, the donor may be accepted. If used for diabetic retinopathy it is likely that the donor will need to be deferred and reference should be made to Diabetes Mellitus. |
| Information | This is a requirement of the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005. |
| Reason for change | The need for all wounds to be healed has been added under 'Obligatory'. Laser eye treatment has been added under 'Discretionary'. Additional links have been added under 'See if Relevant' together with 'Additional Information'. |
| Donor Information | If you wish to obtain more information regarding a personal medical issue please contact your National Help Line. Please do not contact this web site for personal medical queries, as we are not in a position to provide individual answers. |