ACUTE NORMOVOLEMIC HEMODILUTION DOES NOT REDUCE THE INFLAMMATORY PROCESS-INDUCED BY FACIAL SURGERY

The place of preoperative acute normovolaemic haemodilution (haematocrit = 28%-32%) in reducing postoperative inflammation was evaluated after facial surgery. Thirty-two patients scheduled for mandibular osteotomy were randomized to a non-haemodiluted group or to a haemodiluted group. The degree of postoperative inflammation was evaluated first by an x-ray technique (radiotelemetry) providing measurements of the tissue thickness (quantitation of facial oedema), and second by the measurement of four acute phase protein plasma concentrations airing the first postoperative week. Throughout the study no changes in facial oedema or in variation of acute phase proteins were detected after haemodilution. It is concluded that acute normovolaemic haemodilution has no effect on the intensity of facial oedema and the biological inflammation process after facial surgery.