This study was performed to provide the applicability and safety of predeposited and intraoperative autologous transfusion in patients who underwent lumbar spine fusion surgery.

Materials were 130 patients, consisted of 55 with pure autologous blood, 34 with autologous and homologous blood, and 41 with homologous blood. We analyzed the amount of transfusion, the occurrence of complication during blood transfusion, and the perioperative hematologic changes.

One level spinal fusion was possible with only predeposited autologous blood transfusion. On the other hand, homologous blood also was required in addition to the predeposited and intraoperative autotransfusion in more than two level surgery. But homologous blood less than 33-39% of total required blood amount was used compared to the amount used in pure homologous blood group. It took about three months to recover complete blood count into the preoperative state, independent from the predeposited amount and the presence of underlying diseases such as cardiovascular disease, chronic debilitating disease. But faster recovery was shown in male under 30 years old. Even though trivial symptoms such as headache and dizziness were developed during preoperative blood collecting, there was no sign of complication during the transfusion of the predeposited and intraoperative autologous blood.

One level spinal fusion procedures including posterolateral fusion and posterior lumbar interbody fusion were possible with only predeposited autologous blood transfusion, and additional use of predeposited and intraoperative autotransfusion was an effective and safe method to reduce the use of homologous blood and to avoid complications in case of more than two level spinal fusion.