Introduction:

In Mexico, several institutions perform routine blood cross-matching (CM) before a cholecystectomy with the purpose to ensure one available unit of blood (UB) in case of bleeding that requires urgent transfusion. Some studies do not support this practice.

Objective:

To evaluate the probability of requiring a transfusion and the need to perform a CM before a cholecystectomy.

Material and methods:

A retrospective study was performed with patients who underwent a cholecystectomy. A comparison was performed between cases that required a blood transfusion and those that did not. Reasons for transfusion and cost analysis were included.

Results:

Of the 503 evaluated cholecystectomies, four (0.8%) required transfusion and one (0.2%) was considered urgent. Of the four patients who required transfusion, three (75%) underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy and four (100%) were obese, and required longer surgical time and hospital length of stay. The cost to perform 503 routine CM at our institution was $53,212 dollars.

Conclusion:

CM tests prior to a cholecystectomy should be performed selectively. Each institution should create its own guidelines to ensure safe, quick and less expensive protocols.