Platelet Function After Cardiac Surgery.

Intraoperative cell salvage is commonly used in cardiac surgery to reduce the administration of allogeneic red blood cells and thus improve the outcome for the patient. When processing the salvaged blood, however, a large part of the patient's plasma is washed out. This is a disadvantage with regard to an optimal coagulation situation after cardiac surgery.

There are currently various cell saver systems on the market. According to the manufacturers, the plasma is returned to the patient in different quantities as part of the processing procedure. Thus, it can be assumed that in addition to red blood cells, platelets (part of plasma) are retransfused and contribute to an optimized coagulation. Unfortunately, there is a lack of studies in this regard in the cardiac surgery population.

The investigators aim to study the performance of two different cell saver devices regarding preservation of platelet number and function.